Sector news and updates

If your hospice is sadly in a position of having to plan or consider any cuts or significant changes to staffing or services, we ask that you let us know as early as possible.

This helps us to understand emerging pressures across our membership, and where helpful, work with you on managing any potential media or political impact.

Hospice UK's teams are available to support you, as well as connect you with other hospices which have been in the same situation.

Get in touch by emailing policy@hospiceuk.org.

The Hospice UK Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion Handbook was updated in August 2026 to reflect legal developments and regulatory guidance, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)'s Code of practice. 

This resource seeks to improve the inclusion and safety of trans and gender diverse people within a hospice. Whether they are a patient, visitor, staff member or volunteer.

It is designed for anyone working or volunteering in a hospice.

As part of the 10 Year plan the government announced the Neighbourhood Health service and in March 2026 published the Neighbourhood Health Framework, setting out how ICBs, local authorities, health and wellbeing boards and other partners should develop and deliver neighbourhood health services.
 
Hospices have an important role to play in making this work, and we're pleased to see that this is already happening. Over the last year we have been talking to hospices about their experience in England, and understanding how this works in practice.
 
From this we have written a briefing around Neighbourhood Health, and have been in discussions with DHSC and NHS England about ensuring that future guidance recognises the role hospices can and should be playing.
 
Please also come along to the Neighbourhood Health sessions at National Conference on Tuesday 17 November to hear more about hospices involvement in neighbourhoods. Please do get in touch with our policy team if you have any questions.

On Tuesday 3 November, there was a members business debate in the Scottish Parliament following Bob Doris’ motion celebrating Hospice Care Week. Cross-party support for hospice care was clear in a debate with 12 MSPs speaking about the importance of hospice and palliative care across Scotland. The debate also highlighted the important role hospices can play in public service reform.

We were pleased to hear the Minister, Alison Thewliss, reaffirm commitments to embedding year-on-year pay parity for hospice staff and delivering a new national funding framework for hospice care. 
 
We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to turn these commitments into action at pace, helping ensure people across Scotland can access the hospice care they need.

On Thursday 5 November, in partnership with the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, we held a successful roundtable at Holyrood, with MSPs from across the chamber. This gave us a chance to explore how, with the right partnership and funding in place, hospice care could offer a practical lead case for the Scottish Government's planned public service reform.
 
The discussion also, helpfully, focused on the Scottish Government budget early in December. We now have a number of follow up actions to pursue and we look forward to working with MSPs from all parties to try and increase hospice funding, so that services can be scaled up to provide more care to those who need it.