The chief executive of Hospice Isle of Man has said the charity needs more financial support from government, as it begins a voluntary redundancy process that could see some services reduced.
Fiona Hatton, who joined the hospice last October, confirmed the organisation has operated at a deficit in six of the past seven years, costing £5.5 million from its reserves.
Speaking after announcing the proposed changes to staff, Mrs Hatton moved to reassure the public that core services will be protected.
“We have done our best and we will not be making any changes to the inpatient unit, the Hospice at home provision and Rebecca House,” she said.
However, she confirmed that some services may be affected.
“Some of the services that may well be affected are those which can be, or should be, performed by the wider healthcare system,” she added.
Hospice receives 24% of its funding from government, a figure Mrs Hatton described as low compared to other hospices.
“We need more help from the government,” she said. “We can’t keep relying on the Manx people to give more and more. They already give 75% to hospice.”
Despite the financial pressures, she praised the public’s response to the announcement as “genuinely really heartwarming.”
Health Minister Claire Christian is due to make a statement on Tuesday about Hospice funding.