A petition to ‘save’ the Sussex Beacon, whose care provision was recently described by the Care Quality Commission as “Outstanding” has now been signed by 7.487 people.
Local campaigner Adam Betteridge who sings with the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus set up the petition on the 38 Degrees website asking the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP to intervene and fund the Beacon’s deficit.
Changes to local commissioning arrangements have led to a reduction in funding from some statutory funders. The Sussex Beacon has already lost funding with further cuts likely to follow in the near future.
Last week, Beacon trustees announced that following the loss of full funding for one of the 10 beds in the in patient unit, and with further cuts to come in the next financial year to another two beds, the charity could no longer carry on covering the deficit and might be forced to close all services in June 2017 if replacement funding was not forthcoming.
CEO Simon Dowe say the charity needs to find between £300-£400,000 over the next 2-3 years to survive.
The Sussex Beacon provides care to people living with HIV from across the entire UK. The petition calls on the Government to ensure that sufficient funding is provided to enable The Sussex Beacon to continue providing all of its services both now and in future
The charity costs over £2 million a year to run and the Charity Trustees say they cannot continue to absorb these cuts.
While many people living with HIV are now able to live long and healthy lives, there are still many who need specialist services.
Last year The Sussex Beacon’s inpatient unit had 233 admissions and was full for the majority of the year. It provided over 2,000 bed nights, relieving pressure on both health and social care services in Sussex.
To sign the petition, click here: