Hospice UK reveals at least a fifth of UK hospices are cutting services as Rowans Hospice asks for help

The Rowans Hospice in Purbrook is asking for people to write to their local MP to ask for more government support for hospices. The call for help comes after Hospice UK, a charity which represents over 200 hospices throughout the UK, revealed that a fifth of hospices made cuts or were planning to during the financial year 2023/2024.

The stark figures come from a recent survey conducted by Hospice UK, of which 94 hospices responded. The national charity believe hospices across the country are facing similar issues, with surging costs and modest state funding.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, is calling for the publics help in ensuring the sectors financial future. He said: “Too many hospices are in crisis. The small and wildly variable amount of state funding they receive has failed to keep pace with rising costs. Many hospices are therefore running deficits which can only mean one thing – more cuts to essential care services, or even service closures.

“We’re already seeing redundancies at some major hospices, usually those serving communities in more deprived parts of the UK, where charitable fundraising is harder. At Hospice UK, we fear more will follow.

“Cuts due to a simple lack of funding to maternity, dentistry, or GP services would be unthinkable, yet end-of-life services are being slashed due to a broken funding system. The timing couldn't be worse, with demand for end-of-life care increasing.

“Perhaps the most frustrating element of what we are seeing is that pressure will increase on hospitals and other NHS providers if hospices remain underfunded. When hospices cut services, patients are pushed back into the NHS, ultimately costing the taxpayer more.

“We know that our health and social care services in the UK are under immense strain, yet thousands of hospice staff are desperate to help, if only hospices could be properly funded.

“It is critical that the new government understand the scale of the challenge facing hospices, and ensure they are supported so they can continue to provide their vital care for dying people, for now and forever.”

The issues have affected the Rowans Hospice, which, as reported by The News, announced a number of redundancies in May this year. Rowans Hospice chief executive Iain Cameron, has echoed the calls by Hospice UK for the public to help bring the importance of the issue to the governments attention.

He said: “A reality without hospices is unthinkable, but our future is more uncertain than ever. Hospice UK’s new research finds at least 20 per cent of UK hospices have already cut services in the last year or are planning to.

“The gap between our costs and income has risen significantly, which is not sustainable. We have met with NHS commissioners to negotiate urgent, additional funding, and re-emphasised the significant contribution that the hospice provides and the work that will fall to the NHS, if we must reduce our capacity.

“Unfortunately, further funding has not been forthcoming. Following a range of earlier efficiencies across the organisation, we have had to reduce the level of our provision and make some staff redundant. These are heart-breaking decisions to have made, but we have no other choice.

“Like many hospices across the country who are facing financial challenges, we are simply asking for a fairer and more equitable funding system to stop the postcode lottery that exists for end-of-life care. Surely everyone has the right to receive compassionate care at the end of their lives.

“We’re joining Hospice UK’s call on the public to write to your local MP, highlighting the critical financial situation of hospices and urging the new government for support.”

Hospice UK have set up a template for people to write to their local MP if they wish to, which can be found at: https://action.hospiceuk.org/write-your-mp-today-tell-them-about-uk-hospice-funding-crisis