Willen Hospice CEO shares vision for sustainable future amidst funding challenges

At the last MKBLP Members' Breakfast event, attendees were moved by an emotive and powerful talk from Kate Broadhurst, CEO of Willen Hospice. Sharing her remarkable transition from a 24-year career in corporate leadership at John Lewis Partnership to taking up the helm at one of the most integral charities in Milton Keynes, Kate relayed an inspiring narrative of purpose and commitment to serving the local community – while sharing the current plight of the hospice.

Her move to leading Willen Hospice, driven by a deep sense of purpose, was greatly inspired by her personal experience with hospice care during her father’s end-of-life journey: “The peace, calm, and almost joyful experience we had with palliative care left a profound impact on me. It showed me the true difference that compassionate palliative care can make, and I knew I wanted to be a part of delivering that for others.” At Willen Hospice, she works alongside a passionate team who, in her words: “share the same purpose of making the most difficult moments in life as good as they can possibly be for patients and their families.”

Kate’s words resonated deeply as she described the exceptional care delivered to patients and their loved ones during the most challenging stages of life, highlighting that this standard of care is made possible only through the tireless work of the hospice's teams and community support: “The care provided by Willen Hospice is beyond exceptional – it’s like 5-star health care taken to the next level”

Last year, Willen Hospice made a pivotal decision, appointing a new executive leadership team from diverse sectors to address its pressing challenges. Together, they devised a forward-thinking, three-year strategy titled: "Ready for Tomorrow Today," which will soon be unveiled. This plan, which will incorporate the existing palliative support from all local health care providers in Milton Keynes, will focus on enhancing patient care, guaranteeing long-term financial sustainability, and expanding community outreach while ensuring Willen Hospice remains an exceptional place to work.

Kate emphasised the immense demand Willen Hospice faces as Milton Keynes continues to grow rapidly in both population and complexity of healthcare needs. The hospice provides crucial services, offering a blend of both palliative care and holistic wellbeing services. Beyond its in-patient facility, the Hospice’s “Willen at Home” service has become a lifeline for 86% of its patients, providing same-day appointments, therapeutic support, and triage services that ease the overwhelming burden on families during the hardest of times. Significantly this service receives no Government funding, despite equivalent services in neighbouring counties being fully funded.

With just 12% of Willen Hospice's overall costs covered by NHS funding— one of the worst-funded hospices in the UK—Kate outlined the considerable financial strain on the organisation: “Charities like ours are often expected to fill the gap, but it’s simply not sustainable.”

Despite these challenges, Kate offered moving stories that illustrate the hospice’s unwavering commitment to compassionate care. From managing patient’s pain relief and prescribing medications to counselling and providing therapeutic sessions including yoga through to organising family Christmas parties and hosting weddings for terminally ill patients, Willen Hospice works tirelessly to support patients and their families. However, delivering this level of care comes at a cost of £10 million annually, leaving an underlying £1.8 million deficit even with contributions from fundraising, events, and retail.

While welcoming the Government’s recent pledge of £100 million for UK hospices, we need to remember this a one-off capital injection that must be spent on capital items, not revenue and so does little to address the current inequity and crucial need for sustainable services and staffing: “What we truly need is support for operations like Willen at Home—initiatives that ease the burden on already overstretched healthcare providers like A&E and district nursing. The current funding model won’t sustain these vital services.”

Willen Hospice’s vision is bold yet essential—to ensure that every individual in Milton Keynes with a life-limiting illness can live their best possible life through holistic palliative care and wellbeing support. Success, however, requires significant growth and community support. Businesses and individuals across the region are called upon to help protect this invaluable proposition: “We will all need Willen Hospice at some point in our lives, either for ourselves or our loved ones. It’s the only way to ensure a peaceful end of life,” urged Kate.

The team at Willen Hospice is working tirelessly to close the funding gap, optimise operations, and prepare for the future. But they can’t do it alone. Kate’s message was clear—Milton Keynes must rally to support its local hospice so it can continue to serve those at their most vulnerable times.

To discuss how your businesses can support the Hospice contact corporate@willen-hospice.org.uk

Thank you to Bletchley Park for hosting the MKBLP Member’s Breakfast.