A well-known charity is hoping it will be able to avoid cutbacks to services by appealing to the public to help beat a £70,000 funding deficit.

Iain Rennie Hospice At Home, formed in 1985, was one of the UK's first charities to offer 24-hour care to terminally ill patients, but its income is not keeping pace with expenditure for the first time since 1996 and the charity could be facing a £70,000 funding deficit by March.

The charity cares for around 600 patients each year in their own homes, giving them the dignity to spend their last days with their loved ones in comfortable, familiar surroundings. Iain Rennie, which has offices in High Wycombe and Beaconsfield, is now desperate for people to offer further support.

Legacy income has dropped from £50,000 to £1,500 a year and the number of patients has risen by 11 per cent this year. The five per cent increase in nursing salaries, starting in April, will also put pressure on the charity's finances.

Around 85 per cent of the income is spent on nursing care for terminally ill patients including those with cancer, AIDS related illnesses and motor neurone disease but the charity said it may not be able to afford to replace nurses who will leave if more money isn't forthcoming.

This would in turn put the nursing teams under extra strain and they may not be able to take every patient who is referred to them by a GP or district nurse.

Rowena Dean, chief executive, said: "We are looking after more patients than ever before but compared to the national average of around 30 per cent Iain Rennie receives just 17 per cent of its funding from Government sources. We therefore have to work hard to raise over £1.1 million each year from other sources, mainly donations and fundraising. We have also experienced a dramatic downturn in legacy income over the last year and these two factors put a big question mark over our ability to keep nursing teams fully staffed."

Moira Rennie, president of the Tring based charity whose husband Iain was the first patient, said: "It would be so tragic if the Hospice At Home had to turn away even one patient."

Robert Breakwell, appeals director, said: "We are not under threat. We just have to take this situation very seriously and do something about it. We really don't want patients to think their services are being withdrawn."

How you can help

Sending a donation of any amount

Making a regular gift of whatever you can afford

Including a legacy to Iain Rennie Hospice At Home in your will

Organising a fundraising event with the help of Iain Rennie

Asking for further information about how to help the Iain Rennie Hospice At Home by giving time or skills

Anyone with fundraising ideas or those who wish to send a donation should contact the High Wycombe office on (01494) 713888 or write to 11 Duke Street, High Wycombe, Bucks HP 13 6YT