Petition to save local HIV charity The Sussex Beacon hits 10,000 signatures
Simon Dowe, CEO of the Sussex Beacon
Over ten thousand people have now signed a petition asking the Government to take action to save local HIV charity, The Sussex Beacon. Following cuts to the funding it receives from the NHS, the charity may have to cease offering its services, which include a ten bed inpatient unit.
The petition to save The Sussex Beacon is addressed to NHS England and also directly to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt. Charity staff are working alongside local MPs to raise the issue in parliament, in order to raise awareness of the threat the charity faces and the high level of public support it has.
Simon Dowe, the charity’s Chief Executive said, “Since we announced that these funding cuts are threatening our services, we’ve had an outpouring of support, which we’re incredibly grateful for. Service users, colleagues in the health and HIV sectors, MPs and local people have given us their backing as we try and find a way to keep our services open.
“We’re delighted to hit 10,000 signatures on the petition as we feel it demonstrates to Commissioners and the Department of Health how valued we are. If we are forced to close services, not only will it have an impact on some of the most vulnerable people with HIV locally, it will also put significant additional pressure on both health and social care services in Sussex as they try to fill the gap. We’re doing all we can to avoid closing services, while also supporting our service users and staff at this difficult time.”
In September, The Sussex Beacon was rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. It helps hundreds of HIV sufferers in Sussex every year, and costs over £2 million a year to run, however changes to local commissioning arrangements have led to a reduction in statutory funding. In a statement, the charity said that it is exploring alternative options, including approaching non NHS funding and grant giving bodies, or working in partnership with other organisations.
