Deficits in excess of £1m are indication of hospices crisis

ONE in five hospices in England have a deficit of more than £1million, while many are cutting services, according to new data.

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The Hospice UK charity said short-term Government funding has helped plug some gaps, but the sector is still struggling in a big way due to a lack of cash. A total of 57% of hospices in England ended the last financial year (2024/25) in deficit, with a fifth having a deficit of more than £1 million.

Hospice UK is now calling for full Government funding of specialist palliative care provided by hospices as well as other measures to ease the burden. Its chief executive, Toby Porter, said: “We've been ringing the alarm on hospice funding for some time, yet too many hospices are still struggling to cope with the rising cost of providing their essential care.