Focus on palliative care not assisted dying – doctor

St Giles Hospice, in Lichfield, warned in the summer it was dealing with a £1.5m deficit.

Its CEO Elinor Eustace said sustainable funding was a “must” in order to accommodate everyone in need of end-of-life care.

She added that the parliamentary bill came at a time when hospices were facing “an increasingly challenging period”.

Birmingham Hospice likewise announced in June that it was closing beds and cutting staff in the face of an estimated £2.4m budget shortfall, despite huge demand on its services.

The hospice’s CEO, Paul Bytheway, said the debate around the bill had emphasised the need for a “substantial and sustained increase in funding”.

“We know most people do not want to die in hospital. Hospices stand ready and able to help, but we cannot meet our costs through charitable fundraising alone.”

He called for a long-term funding proposal that would support the growing demand for the service.