Government funding for hospices is as low as 3% in some areas

As the sector struggles financially, the majority of the the UK public are concerned that free hospice care might not be available when needed.

Latest figures reveal huge variations in government funding received by hospices across the country as many rely on donations to fill the gap. We are also sharing new survey data which has found that 61% of the UK public (and 67% of women) are concerned that free hospice or palliative care might not be available if they or someone close to them needs it.

Our findings have been released during Hospice Care Week to highlight the palliative care pressures on the UK’s ageing population.

On average, government funding covers only around 40% of the cost of care provided by adult hospices and around one third for children’s hospices, but this figure varies enormously with some hospices receiving as little as 3% of their funding from the government while others receive as much as 80%.

This funding model means most hospices rely heavily on their local communities to raise the money needed to provide care. Charitable funding may come from local donations, marathon runs, gifts in wills, and charity shops, and wealthier areas of the country are inevitably in a position to raise more.

Nearly 1 in 3 people don’t get the care they need at the end of their lives. And where you live affects your chances. Three quarters of hospices in England were already running at a deficit as of February this year and nearly 6 in 10 have either made or are considering cuts to frontline services, meaning in many areas the chance of being able to access hospice care is shrinking.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said: “Government funding varies wildly from hospice to hospice, meaning the amount they receive can feel like a matter of luck. Local communities give generously to support their hospices but they do not all have the same ability to fundraise. This is a recipe for inequality.

“We can’t leave hospice care to chance. Charitable income will always play a vital role but access to hospice care should not depend on how much a community is able to give.

“We know that the Prime Minister wants to prioritise fixing end of life care. For that we need action and for hospices to be paid fairly for the services they provide."

Steph Edusei, Chief Executive of St Oswald's Hospice in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said: "We rely on charitable donations and the goodwill of our local community for around two-thirds of our funding. This heavy dependence creates unsustainable financial pressure, threatening the future of hospice care at a time when demand is only increasing and running costs are rising faster than income. Hospices play a crucial role in end-of-life care and they should not be treated as an afterthought.”

We are calling on the Government to act now and commit, via its new Modern Service Framework for palliative and end of life care, to comprehensively fund specialist palliative care across the country. The move would allow hospices to use charitable income for enhanced services like counselling, therapeutics, bereavement support and gardens, as opposed to subsidising clinical care.

Our four point plan for fair hospice funding also calls on the government to introduce proper contracts for hospice services, similar to those that exist for NHS providers, and for pay parity for hospice workers, so that when pay increases for NHS staff, hospices are funded to match the pay rise.