Hospice leaders warn hundreds of beds not to be used

Around 300 inpatient hospice beds are currently closed or out of use in England, hospice leaders have warned.

They say a lack of funding and staffing are the main reasons some of England’s 170 hospices have had to permanently close or decommission beds.

Hospice UK, which represents the sector, is now calling for an urgent package of government funding to prevent further cuts. The Department of Health said it was examining how hospices could be financially supported to ensure their sustainability.

The Debate about euthanasia has placed increased focus on hospices, with some arguing that the priority should be improving the quality of end-of-life care so patients can make more informed decisions.

Hospice leaders have been warning of a financial crisis for most of this year.

They argue that health care revenues have lagged behind rising costs, and some hospices announced clinical position cuts.

Only around a third of the funding comes from the NHS – the rest has to be raised through donations, fundraising and charity shops.

For hospices that provide both community and residential care, there is now increasing concern about the prospect of higher employer social security contributions.

According to Hospice UK, around 300 beds are closed or out of service in England – out of a total of 2,200 – and the number is rising.

The organization has asked the government for £110 million in new funding to prevent further cuts next year.

Annette Alcock, program director at Hospice UK, said the way hospices are funded and commissioned by the NHS “places a huge ceiling on their capabilities” while blaming “underlying pressures such as staff shortages”.

She added: “If the government can act in both the short and long term to address these issues, these figures are clear evidence that hospices can do much more for patients and much more for the NHS.”

“This is also true in the community, where the majority of hospice care is actually provided.”

“With better funding and commissioning, hospices could provide much more care where people want it most – at home.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The decisions the Chancellor made in the Budget enabled us to invest a further £26 billion in the NHS.”

“We are looking at how we can financially support hospices over the next year to ensure they are sustainable.”

Health Minister Wes Streeting has previously hinted that a funding package will be announced before Christmas.

Hospice bosses say around £100 million would stabilize their balance sheets until at least the end of next year and cover the cost of higher national insurance contributions. However, they add that more than that is needed to significantly improve the quality of care.