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In England, approximately 380 hospice beds remain unoccupied out of an estimated 2,000 available, according to hospice leaders. This figure has risen from 300 empty beds reported a year ago, highlighting the growing financial difficulties confronting the hospice sector. The decision to keep beds vacant is largely a cost-saving measure since the expenses of staffing and providing care are substantial, which consequently limits patient access to these services.
Hospices, which operate as charitable organizations, generate between two-thirds and three-quarters of their revenue through donations and fundraising efforts. The remaining funds come from the NHS, but managers report that this public funding has not kept up with rising costs such as employer national insurance contributions. Consequently, many hospices are now facing what their leaders describe as a financial crisis.
Government officials from the Department of Health and Social Care have acknowledged the importance of supporting hospices and noted that £100 million has been invested to enhance hospice facilities. Additionally, £80 million has been earmarked over three years specifically for children’s and young people’s hospice care. A spokesperson emphasized ongoing efforts to improve access, quality, and the sustainability of palliative and end-of-life care as part of a broader 10-Year Health Plan. Despite this, Hospice UK has reported that since early October, five of its member hospices have announced budget cuts or cutbacks, including job losses.
Specific examples underline the scale of the crisis. Ashgate Hospice in Derbyshire has informed staff that 52 positions may be made redundant and plans to reduce its beds from 15 to six, which would result in caring for 600 fewer patients annually. The hospice cites escalating energy costs and rising staff wages coupled with stagnant NHS funding as primary causes for these cuts. Similarly, Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge is set to decrease its inpatient beds from 21 to 12 due to NHS funding reductions, a decision described as “devastating.” Garden House Hospice Care in Hertfordshire has declared its current financial predicament “the most serious in its history,” with a consultation underway that could lead to over 20 redundancies. Charlie King, director of external affairs at Hospice UK, stressed the urgency of the situation, noting the increasing demand for care and the necessity for a revamp in hospice funding, especially as the government encourages more community-based care and potential future legislation on assisted dying makes well-supported end-of-life care crucial. Although ministers introduced a £100 million emergency funding initiative this year aimed at upgrading hospice buildings and facilities, funding for daily operational costs remains uncertain, with only the children’s hospice sector currently receiving a secured three-year funding plan
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