More than one in five hospice charities have made cuts to services over the last year or are planning to do so, a survey is warning.

Of the 93 hospices that responded to the survey, 20 are making cuts to services.

The survey has been carried out among its members by Hospice UK, which represents 200 hospices across the UK.

With hundreds of new MPs in place, following Labour’s general election landslide, Hospice UK is urging the public and its supporters to write to their local MP “highlighting the critical financial situation of hospices and urging the new government for support”.

Earlier this month analysis by think tank Pro Bono Economics revealed that more than a third of MPs have a charity sector background following July 4’s election result.

Hospice UK is warning that “modest amounts of state funding that hospices receive have not kept pace with running costs” adding that the “state of the hospice sector’s finances is not the worst it has been for 20 years”.

The sector is blighted by redundancies and cuts to inpatient beds, therapy, counselling and community services, which is leaving “fewer staff to visit patients in their homes”, warns Hospice UK, which adds that funding for end-of-life services are “broken”.

“Too many hospices are in crisis,” said Hospice UK chief executive Toby Porter.

“The small and wildly variable amount of state funding they receive has failed to keep pace with rising costs.

“Many hospices are therefore running deficits which can only mean one thing –
more cuts to essential care services, or even service closures.

“We’re already seeing redundancies at some major hospices, usually those serving
communities in more deprived parts of the UK, where charitable fundraising is harder. At Hospice UK, we fear more will follow.”

He added: “It is critical that the new government understand the scale of the challenge facing hospices, and ensure they are supported so they can continue to provide their vital care for dying people, for now and forever.”

Hospice services under threat

Among hospices impacted by cuts is Rowans Hospice in Hampshire.

“Unfortunately, as further funding has not been forthcoming, and following a range of
earlier efficiencies across the organisation, we have had to reduce the level of our
provision and make some staff redundant,” said its executive chairman Deborah Paris.

“These are heart-breaking decisions to have made, but we have no other choice but to take these steps.”

Prospect Hospice in Swindon is facing a deficit of £1m and has been forced it to cut its number of inpatient beds to six “despite having room for 12”, says its chief executive Jeremy Lune.

“Reduced hospice services mean tough decisions about who qualifies for care, potentially
leaving more people without the specialised support they deserve,” he added.

“Families might struggle to manage a loved one’s pain at home, and patients could miss out on emotional support during their final days.

“The knock-on effect on already overstretched NHS services would be catastrophic, depriving people of the chance for a good death, surrounded by loved ones in their chosen environment.”

Gareth Pierce, chief executive of Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield said it may “need to consider reducing services across the board, including much needed respite and short breaks for families – services they can’t get anywhere else”.

He added: “We might be forced to consider which of our services might need to stop all together – something that we never want to have to do, but with the current outlook, that is a very real possibility.

“As the need for our services grows, we’re at risk of having to turn children and families
away, something that goes against our promise that no family should have to face the
loss of their child alone.”

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