CORE patient services at hospices across the conurbation could be affected if the tough start to the financial year continues, health bosses say.

Forest Holme Hospice has experienced a £40,000 funding shortfall over the past three months.

Hospice charity manager Anne Currie, who believes current economic and political uncertainty is partly to blame, told the Echo if the trend continues she'll have to start looking at the charity's outgoings.

She also says the hospice now needs the support of the local community more than ever before.

"If the money is not coming in, it cannot go out," said Anne. "We are not talking about fixtures and fittings being affected, it could be about core service provision within the hospice - nursing staff, counselling staff, healthcare.

"We need to let the public know that while Forest Holme is part of Poole Hospital, don't assume that we don't need funds to keep it running."

And while Forest Holme Hospice Charity works in partnership with Poole Hospital NHS Foundations Trust to fund special palliative care services for patients with life-limiting illnesses, the hospice is NOT fully funded by the NHS.

Indeed, the charity needs to raise £750,000 this year to provide care and support to local families.

Meanwhile, bosses at Julia's House Dorset and Wiltshire Children's Hospices also report a "considerable" funding gap compared to last year.

Julia's House chief executive Martin Edwards explained: "We are currently experiencing a good level of income from our shops and our challenge events have been well attended this year. However, there has been a noticeable decline in players of our lottery, leaving a considerable funding gap compared to last year."

Mr Edwards also explained that statutory funding varies widely across the country.

"Julia's House is almost completely community funded, we receive just six per cent funding in Dorset making us one of the worst funded children's hospices in the UK."

At Forest Holme Hospice specialist teams care for more than 1,000 local people living with terminal cancer, motor neurone disease, Parkinson's and other conditions. While donations have faltered in recent weeks, demand for Forest Holme services have "significantly increased" say healthcare staff.

Anne said: "Normally the first three months of the financial year are probably our strongest so my concern is that if this tracks out for the next nine months we are going to be quite significantly down compared to where we were last year and the previous year.

"It is not that people have stopped giving money, it is just whereas they may have given £10 before, now they're giving £5. People are being cautious, they are uncertain about what lays ahead.

"We need the support of the local community more than ever before to help us," urged Anne. "We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us so far this year."

To learn more about the work of Forest Holme Hospice Charity or to make a donation, please visit forestholmehospice.org.uk or call the team on 01202 670 644.

AT Lewis Manning Hospice, which receives less than one third NHS funding, income coming in remains roughly the same as previous years.

However, after the opening of a new End of Life unit on site in 2016, the Poole hospice needs to significantly increase its incoming funds.

Head of fundraising and communications Andy Gould said: “We need to raise extra money - approximately one third more than last year, on top of NHS funding, to fund the new unit.

“This money is needed to fund our core end of life services - our nurses, doctors, catering staff and cleaners.”

Meanwhile, Brian Ford, treasurer for Macmillan Caring Locally, said the charity relies on donations.

He said: “We are very lucky in having a great band of fundraisers who work tirelessly for us to enable us to keep our income going. There are also the very kind people who remember us in their wills. Our volunteers contribute not only in enhancing the service we provide but also in keeping our name in front of the public.

“All of this will be vital when we formally launch our appeal for funds to rebuild the 40 year old Macmillan Unit. We receive no funding other than what we generate ourselves.”