A free palliative care hospice on Queensland’s Fraser Coast says it will be forced to close its doors within a week unless it secures a major injection of funding, after supporting 950 patients in five years.
The Fraser Coast Hospice board announced on Friday that it will enter voluntary administration on June 10, citing an unsustainable financial shortfall. The six‑bed residential facility located about 300 kilometres north of Brisbane is the region’s only free end‑of‑life care service, providing round‑the‑clock support for patients and their families.
Board chair Ross Zelow said on Monday the hospice needs an additional $60,000 per month, or $720,000 annually, to keep operating. The service currently relies on a mix of state government funding and community donations, but rising operational costs have pushed it to crisis point.
“It’s the big bucket of money that we’ve got to try and find … so we can open it up,” Zelow said. He added that the board is hoping for either a major donor or a coalition of supporters willing to contribute regularly.
Zelow stressed that the hospice plays an irreplaceable role in the community, offering compassionate, specialised care at no cost to families during the most difficult moments of their lives.
With just days left before administration begins, the future of the facility and the vital service it provides remains uncertain.
+ There are no comments
Add yours