Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, has backed a Liberal Democrat campaign in Parliament to protect local hospice services, warning that many “are on the brink of collapse unless Government ministers step in now.”
The warning comes amid news that 2 in 5 hospices nationally are planning cuts this year, with 50% of children’s hospices saying they may reduce or stop providing end-of-life care altogether if new funding is not guaranteed within six months. More than half of hospices ended the 2024-5 financial year in deficit, with one in five seeing a deficit of over £1m.
- Hospices rely on a mix of funding, with around a third coming from the NHS and the rest dependent on charitable donations. The cost-of-living crisis has reduced donations, and rising costs have contributed to a £47m funding shortfall nationally between 2022 and 2024. No new emergency support beyond capital funding has been announced.
- The number of people dying in a hospice has risen from 26,566 in 2020 to 29,772 in 2024
Sector hospice leaders are cautioning that “time is running out” for hospices across England.
The Liberal Democrats are putting pressure on Wes Streeting to step in. They have launched a campaign to “save our hospices” – with calls to end the postcode lottery of care by allocating funding based on need, and for protected ringfenced funding for children’s hospices. They are also demanding that April’s national insurance hike, which has cost hospices £34m, be urgently reversed, and for additional support to protect bereavement services.
The party’s Care Spokesperson Alison Bennett will table a Bill in Parliament as part of the campaign, to guarantee universal access to hospices and require the Secretary of State to come clean on the current gap in hospice funding.
Liberal Democrat MP Harrogate and Knaresborough said:
Hospices in North Yorkshire are at breaking point, while across the country staff are laid off and beds are closed. Families are paying the price.
The Government must step in now and answer our calls to protect children’s hospice funding, reverse the National Insurance hike that costs hospices £34 million, and make sure funding always matches local need.
Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save our hospices. No one should face their final days in pain, on a busy hospital ward, or even in isolation because government ministers are asleep at the wheel.
Tony Collins, Chief Executive of Saint Michael’s Hospice, Herriott Hospice, and Just ‘B’ said:
Hospice care plays a vital role in supporting people and families across North Yorkshire, through some of the most difficult times in their lives. Every day, our teams provide expert care, comfort and compassion to those living with terminal illness, helping people make the most of every moment and ensuring no one faces the end of life alone.
Like many hospices across the country, we are facing increased financial pressures, with rising costs and growing demand for our services. Without urgent action to address the national funding gap, the sustainability of hospice care across the UK is at serious risk.
Each year, we must raise the majority of our income through the generosity of our community – but this alone cannot meet the growing needs. Greater clarity, consistency and fairness in national funding are urgently required to help us plan confidently and continue delivering the care our communities rely on.
We welcome any national discussion that recognizes the essential contribution hospices make, and we support the aims of Hospice UK’s Fairer Funding Campaign, which calls for a long-term, sustainable approach to hospice funding. We urge policymakers to work collaboratively with the sector to ensure hospice care remains available to anyone who needs it, now and into the future.
