The government has announced a new funding package to help hospices improve their buildings, equipment and accommodation.
In what has been described by ministers as the ‘biggest investment’ in hospices in ‘a generation’, the government has committed £126m to supporting adult and children’s hospices.
This is broken down into £100m for adult and children’s hospices to help deliver the best physical environment for care, with a further £26m revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices.
Nursing in Practice is seeking clarification from the government on whether any of the new funds can be used towards nursing provision.
In November, Shooting Star Hospices in Hampton told Nursing in Practice that they will not be able to scale up nursing services to meet demands because of the additional financial pressures without additional financial support.
And recent analysis by hospice charity Together for Short Lives suggested nearly half (54%) of UK children’s hospices ended the 2023/24 financial year with a net deficit and almost three-quarters (72%) forecasted a net deficit for 2024/25.
The government said the investment announced into the sector today will be used to help hospices improve their buildings, equipment, accommodation and outdoor spaces.
This includes refurbishing bedrooms and bathrooms for patients, and providing comfortable overnight facilities for families, as well as improving IT systems which make it easier for GPs and hospitals to share data on patients.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Hospices provide the care and support for patients and families at the most difficult time, so it is only right they are given the financial support to provide these services.
And that the funding package would support people reach the end of their life in the ‘best possible environment’.
Toby Porter, chief executive of Hospice UK, said the funding announcement will be ‘hugely welcomed’ by hospices.
‘This funding will allow hospices to continue to reach hundreds of thousands of people every year with high-quality, compassionate care,’ he said.
‘We look forward to working with the government to make sure everyone approaching the end of life gets the care and support they need, when and where they need it.’
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some funding for providing NHS services.
The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives depends upon the integrated care board (ICB) they are located in and the level of demand for their service receives.
Funding arrangements will be shared with the sector in the new year.
Yesterday health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, confirmed that an announcement on hospice national insurance (NI) arrangements would soon be made, with further announcements on GP, social care and pharmacy funding to be made in January.
The announcements follow an increase in NI contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15% in the October budget, with changes expected to start from April 2025 .
