MSPs to investigate hospice cuts

At Margaret's Hospice is set to lose £1.2m in funding

A Holyrood committee is to investigate threatened cuts to the funding of Scotland's largest hospice following an emotional plea from a churchman.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, told the MSPs he regarded the campaign to save St Margaret's as "a fight for life".

Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board is planning to withdraw £1.2m in funding from the Clydebank hospice.

The public petitions committee agreed to investigate the issue.

MSPs will also ask the health committee to study the wider issue of hospice funding.

Being here today is just another fight for life, from my point of view Cardinal Keith O'Brien

Before the committee meeting, the cardinal joined campaigners at a carol service outside the Scottish Parliament to highlight the issue.

Cardinal O'Brien said: "Our civilisation, our country, will be judged by how we deal with those who are in their last days, weeks and months of dying."

The committee heard from the cardinal and other witnesses, including Marjorie McCance, whose terminally ill mother is being cared for at the hospice.

Supporters of St Margaret's claim that a system under which the public sector meets half of a hospice's agreed running costs leads to large variations between institutions.

The campaigners handed in a 60,000-signature petition asking MSPs to intervene.

'Respect and dignity'

The hospice has a total of 60 beds - 30 for frail adults with complex needs and 30 palliative care beds.

But the campaigners have said it stands to lose its funding under health board plans to phase out "continuing care" provision at St Margaret's as part of wider changes to care of the elderly.

The cardinal told the committee: "Being here today is just another fight for life, from my point of view.

"I am speaking as a Roman Catholic but I know that many people of other faiths agree with me that life is vitally important from the moment of conception to natural death."

Ms McCance told the MSPs: "My mother will die with love, care, respect and dignity at St Margaret's and I think you and everyone else in Scotland deserves the same treatment."