Hospices hit by funding crisis

Hospice UK says £60m of financial help is needed from the government to cover the pay rise in England – but there has been no response to requests for support.

The Welsh government set aside £4m for hospices to afford wage increases.

The Scottish government is in detailed negotiations with the sector.

And there is a similar dialogue in Northern Ireland.

Hospice UK chief executive Toby Porter said if services were cut, some patients would end up going to GPs and hospitals instead.

“Its an absolute scandal to see hospice services taken away from communities because there isn’t enough money,” he said.

“It doesn’t take much to preserve them – the sums we are talking about are miniscule compared to what the NHS spends.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government has inherited huge challenges in the hospice sector, as well as a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, so these problems will take time to fix.

“Hospices provide vital, compassionate care for people facing the end of their lives, and invaluable support to their families. We want everyone to have access to high-quality end of life care.

“This government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting.”