AN extra £1.87 million has been agreed for charity-run hospices across West Yorkshire – including Manorlands, at Oxenhope.

The funding is from the NHS West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, which has also approved £1m of additional support for its voluntary, community and social enterprise partners.

Money will be distributed as part of the partnership’s Harnessing the Power of Communities programme and the West Yorkshire Hospice Collaborative, which includes Sue Ryder-run Manorlands.

Michael Crowther, of the West Yorkshire Hospice Collaborative, says: "These additional investments are much needed and welcomed.

"We have to ensure we do all we can together to give people the very best care possible when they need support at the end of their life."

Manorlands supports patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families at the hospice and in the community, across an area covering Craven, Airedale, Wharfedale and parts of Bradford.

All services are free to patients and their loved ones, but it costs more than £10,000 a day to keep the hospice doors open and only a small part of the cost is covered by statutory funding.

Cathy Elliott chairs the partnership's integrated care board, which supported the extra money, including the £1m for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

She says: "The sector has around 43,100 full-time equivalent posts, making up 3.7 per cent of employment across the area.

"On top of this, there are an estimated 147,000 volunteers giving their time and energy to help local people live their best life possible. The sector is very much a part of our partnership, and I’m delighted that this additional funding has been supported by our board."

Rob Webster, the partnership's chief executive officer lead, says: "The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector offers early help and provides critical health and care services, quality end-of-life care, and support for adults, children and thousands of carers who look after loved ones and friends 24/7. Without the support of those 14,000 organisations in West Yorkshire, the ambitions of our partnership, to keep people safe, happy and well, would not be achievable."

Kim Shutler, chief executive officer of district mental health and wellbeing charity The Cellar Trust and senior responsible officer for the Harnessing the Power of Communities programme, says: "Our sector faces significant challenges of sustainability and workforce recruitment. This additional funding is welcome, and demonstrates that the partnership is listening to the concerns we collectively face."