Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: December 4, 2025

Purpose:

Content: A vote was taken (unanimous) on a motion by Councillor James Rixon, which was carried, as follows:   “Council notes: The Arthur Rank Hospice is being forced to plan for the closure of nine of its 23 beds, a 40% reduction in its inpatient capacity, as a result of Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) being unable to sustain its previous funding contribution. That this represents an annual funding deficit of £829,00 which will result in more than 200 patients a year losing access to hospice care. Over 16,000 people have signed a petition to protect the funding for Arthur Rank Hospice, demonstrating massive public concern, with the petition being handed into 10 Downing Street by local MPs, Pippa Heylings, Ian Sollom and Charlotte Cane. Addenbrooke’s Hospital and other local NHS services are already under severe pressure, including high bed-occupancy rates, serious discharge blockages, and increasing reports of patients receiving "corridor care". National data reflects this crisis, showing a 25% surge in 12-hour A&E waits, marking September 2025 as the worst September on record for this metric. Cambridgeshire’s GP and primary care funding is among the lowest per person in England, due to a funding freeze since 2017. The current funding formula fails to adequately reflect the area's rurality, hidden deprivation, population growth, and service demand. The Government’s growth ambitions for Greater Cambridge (and the accompanying significant population, employment, and housing expansion) will place additional, critical demand on the health and care system. There is a concerning and stark disparity between these cuts and the NHS’s 10-Year Health plan updated this year which committed to moving care into the community through the Enhanced Health in Care Homes model and preventative, neighbourhood-based care, specifically to reduce hospital admissions.   Council believes: The proposed cuts to Arthur Rank Hospice are detrimental, will reduce the quality of care for vulnerable patients, and will worsen capacity pressures at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Every resident deserves timely, dignified, and accessible high-quality healthcare when they need it, whether via their GP surgery, community services, in hospital or end-of-life settings. Current levels of long waits and "corridor care" constitute an unacceptable failure of the duty of care owed to every resident and fundamentally undermine public confidence in the NHS. Strong primary care is essential both for preventing ill-health and relieving pressure on hospitals, and the persistent underfunding in Cambridgeshire is unjust and must be corrected. National Government, in partnership with local health bodies, must ensure that funding, workforce, and infrastructure are aligned to meet both current and projected need in high-growth areas like Greater Cambridge. The pressures on the NHS, driven by high bed occupancy, staff shortages, and delayed discharges, require urgent, targeted national intervention.   Council resolves to: Support the campaign launched by local MPs to restore the funding deficit to ensure all 23 beds at the Arthur Rank Hospice remain open and serving people at the most difficult time of their lives. Request the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Trust and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to: recognise the petition and public support for Arthur Rank Hospice and commit to maintaining long-term, sustainable funding through the ICB for the hospice's specialist palliative care services. Roll out the move from hospital to community care with hospices and GPs at its heart: ensure the new NHS 10 Year Plan supports the critical role hospices play in delivering the government’s own policy of providing community-based care and alleviating pressure on NHS hospitals. highlight the growing problem facing chronically underfunded health services in high-growth areas like Greater Cambridge and the urgent need for this to turn around.”