Data from Hospice UK reveals that as many as 2 in 5 hospices are planning to make cuts this year. With demand for services rising fast, the stark reality of insufficient funding leaves hospices with no option but to shrink services just as they should be expanding.
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Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK says: "Hospices are on the brink. Recent short-term funding for hospices in England, Scotland and Wales has been a genuine help, but as costs continue to snowball and demand keeps rising hospices can’t keep up and many are making or considering cuts.
“Planning for next financial year is underway, when the short term funding runs out, and many hospice leaders simply don’t know what state funding to expect from April. They are asking themselves whether charitable donations will be able to bridge the ever-widening gap between their statutory funding and expenditure. The situation is not sustainable."
With assisted dying being discussed in England, Wales and Scotland, the clock is ticking to fix funding for end of life care. While Hospice UK remains neutral on the principle of assisted dying, the charity is clear that no one should feel they need to choose an assisted death because of a fear of not getting the care they need at end of life. Well-funded hospice care is a critical safeguard if assisted dying is introduced.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being debated in the House of Lords from today, but in it's current state the Bill does not detail where assisted dying would take place or how it would be funded, leaving hospices largely in the dark about what is expected of them should assisted dying be legalised.
Toby Porter says: "If assisted dying is to become law, it’s essential that hospices have the space and flexibility to determine what the Bill means for the services they provide and the communities they serve."
“Hospices spend £1.2 billion per year directly on care, of which only £485 million is funded by the government. As a society, are we willing to accept a state funded assisted dying service when so much essential end of life care is reliant on charity?”
Hospice UK continues to campaign for fair and sustainable funding for hospices across the UK to protect the vital care they provide care to over 310,000 people every year. The way they’re funded needs urgent reform to prevent more hospices from making cuts to services right at the time when people need them most.
