Hospice leaders in England have raised alarms over a mounting crisis in palliative care, with about 300 inpatient beds currently closed or out of use, as reported by The BBC.
They attribute the closures to chronic underfunding and a severe shortage of staff, with only a third of hospice funding coming from the NHS. The rest relies on donations, fundraising, and charity shops.
Hospice UK, which represents the sector, has warned that further cuts could follow unless the government intervenes with an urgent funding package. The organisation has called for £110 million in new funding to stabilize services over the next year. Without it, more hospices could reduce services or close entirely.
The financial strain has been compounded by rising costs and higher employer national insurance contributions. Some hospices have already cut clinical jobs, leaving many struggling to maintain adequate care. Dr. Sarah Cox from the Association for Palliative Medicine (APM) emphasised that the UK’s reputation for leading palliative care is slipping due to insufficient funding.
The financial crisis in hospice care comes as a proposed law on assisted dying advances to the next stage in Parliament. MPs voted on Friday to back the bill, which would allow terminally ill adults to choose assisted dying in England and Wales. However, the bill still faces months of debate before it could become law.
Proponents of the bill, such as Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, argue it would give terminally ill patients greater autonomy. Opponents of the bill, including Labour’s Diane Abbott, worry that the focus on assisted dying could overshadow the urgent need for better hospice services.
Abbott also expressed concerns about the bill’s safeguards, noting that once legislation passes its second reading, it can only be minimally adjusted.
The APM cautioned that funding to implement assisted dying, including oversight by doctors and the courts, could divert resources away from hospice care. This has prompted calls for the government to prioritise fixing the struggling palliative care system before implementing new measures.
Hospice UK reiterated its plea for immediate funding to protect the nation’s 170 hospices, which provide both inpatient and community care. With 300 out of 2,200 beds already unavailable and the number increasing, experts warn the situation could worsen without swift intervention.
As the debate over assisted dying unfolds, the need to strengthen end-of-life care is becoming more pressing.
One Response
I am slightly horrified by the backing of this Bill. Hospices have been ignored for far too long and I suspect that this bill is not really about giving people ‘choice’ – that choice has always been there – but about economics & MOs know this. But of course they can’t admit it publicly or they would have to acknowledge the ghoulushness of the idea. MAID in Canada has shown how ‘mission creep’ happens with these sorts of interventions, where people with depression or suicidal ideation have been offered it as an ‘option’. We need to urge the government to look at proper funding of hospices, in the name of compassion – and basic humanity.