Fifth of hospices facing deficit of more than £1m

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

- JANE KIRBY AND ELLA PICKOVER

Hospice UK said short-term government funding has helped plug some gaps but the sector is still seriously struggling due to a lack of cash.

Some 57% of hospices in England ended the last financial year (2024-25) in deficit, with a fifth having a deficit of more than £1m.

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.

“Sixteen hospices have already made significant service cuts, and our data shows two in five of all UK hospices are planning to make cuts this year.

“This cannot continue, we need a long-term solution to hospice funding to ensure dying people get the care they need.

“This starts with full funding of specialist palliative care provided by hospices.

“With assisted dying on the horizon this could not be more pressing. The time to fix hospice funding is now.”