England's hospices 'on the brink' as 12,000 terminally ill patients could lose care
Data shared exclusively with LBC suggests up to 40% of England's hospices are preparing to reduce services or stop end-of-life care entirely within six months
More than 12,000 terminally ill patients could lose access to vital end-of-life care as hospices across England warn they are “on the brink” of collapse due to financial pressures.
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Data shared exclusively with LBC suggests 40% of England's hospices are preparing to make cuts within six months if new funding is not secured - potentially resulting in the reduction of services or even forcing some to stop end-of-life care entirely. This includes half of all children's hospices.
It leaves thousands of families with the heartbreaking prospect of their loved ones being unable to access hospice care in their final days.
The research, compiled by the Liberal Democrats and based on data from Hospice UK and ONS death statistics, show that more than half of hospices ended the 2024/2025 financial year in deficit - with one in five reporting shortfalls exceeding £1 million.
One of the sites affected is the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge which is set to lose £829,000 of funding in the next few months, forcing it to reduce bed capacity on the inpatient unit from 21 to 12.
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Speaking to LBC, its CEO Sharon Allen said: "The community is understandably upset and people are worried that maybe in the future, when they or someone they love wants to access our care, it won't be there. That's obviously very distressing also for our colleagues.
"We don't have to restrict visiting times as we understand a busy acute hospital has to. We can let people bring their dogs and pets in... and we have that wraparound care. That means we can provide people with a good end of life taking care of the patient and their loved ones.
"What we're asking for is for long, sustainable, contracted funding so that hospices can continue to provide the specialist care that we've been providing for over 50 years now.”
Sector leaders say “time is running out” for England’s hospices, as costs surge and donations fall amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Charlie King from Hospice UK told LBC: "Anyone who's had a family member benefit from the care of a hospice will know how special it is... how it combines highly advanced clinical care with compassion and a human touch.
“We're seeing a lot of closure of hospice beds and we're also seeing cutbacks of the number of visits that hospices make to patients who are at home. That's devastating... no one wants to be in hospital in their final few weeks.
“This is not only bad for patients and families, it’s bad for the NHS as well, because what does that mean... that more patients will be taking up beds in hospitals? And we know all the pressures that we have in our hospital system."
New figures also show that over 30,000 people now spend their final days in a hospice each year - up from 26,566 in 2020. If the number of patients remains at 2024 levels, planned cuts could affect services for up to 12,225 terminally ill people in the coming year.
Hospices receive around a third of their funding from the NHS, relying heavily on charitable donations. Rising costs and reduced giving have created an estimated £47 million shortfall since 2022.
The Lib Dems are set to introduce a bill in Parliament next week to guarantee universal access to hospice care and require the Health Secretary to disclose the scale of the current funding gap.
The party's care spokesperson Alison Bennett told LBC: “Unless the government actually funds the costs of staff properly, they're kind of always fighting a losing battle trying to cover their costs. Labour's decision to charge those National Insurance rises on hospices has cost the sector £34 million... there is this awful postcode lottery.
“There's rising costs, government support hasn't kept pace with it, and beds and staff are closing or being let go. That means that people are not having a dignified death and their families aren't getting the support that they need either."
The Department of Health and Social Care told LBC: "Hospices do incredible work to support people and families when they need it most, and we recognise the incredibly tough pressures they are facing.
“That’s why we have made the biggest investment in a generation - £100 million - to improve hospice facilities. NHS England is also providing £26 million for children and young people’s hospices.
“Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we will make sure the palliative and end-of-life care sector is sustainable as we shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community.”