The government has unveiled a landmark £100 million investment in hospices, marking the most significant funding boost in a generation. It says the initiative aims to ensure hospices can continue to deliver the highest quality end-of-life care to patients, families and loved ones.
A further £26 million will be allocated to hospices for children and young people in 2025/26, maintaining funding through what was previously known as the Children’s Hospice Grant.
Supporting compassionate end-of-life care
The funding will allow hospices to improve their facilities and services, creating a more supportive and dignified environment for patients. Enhancements will include refurbishing patient rooms and bathrooms, providing better overnight accommodation for families and upgrading IT systems to enable smoother communication between GPs and hospitals.
Hospices will also use the funding to develop outdoor spaces, giving patients and families access to greener environments, as well as expand outreach services for those receiving care at home.
Streeting: It is only right they are given the financial support
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting emphasised the importance of this funding, stating,
“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.”
Strengthening community-based care
This investment aligns with the government’s broader 10-Year Health Plan, which seeks to shift healthcare out of hospitals and into community settings. Hospices, as part of the palliative care sector, will play a crucial role in delivering personalised care closer to home.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS National Director of Primary Care, welcomed the announcement, saying,
“It’s absolutely right that staff can provide high-quality and compassionate care to people at the end of their life in the best possible environment.”
A lifeline for charitable hospices
Most hospices in England operate as charitable organisations, with varying levels of statutory funding from the NHS.
Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, described the funding as transformative,
“This funding will allow hospices to continue to reach hundreds of thousands of people every year with high-quality, compassionate care.”
Hartley: The devil will be in the detail
Nigel Hartley, CEO at Mountbatten, told OnTheWight,
“Mountbatten acknowledges today’s positive and timely government announcement to award £100 million to hospices across the country, this year and next. It is described as ‘the biggest investment into hospices for a generation’.
“The government says the extra funding will go towards helping hospices improve buildings, equipment and accommodation, including refurbishing bedrooms and bathrooms, providing overnight facilities for families, improving IT systems, easier data sharing and improving gardens and outdoor spaces.
“Mountbatten is proud of our Isle of Wight hospice and John Cheverton Centre and community café. Like many other hospices it includes high-quality spaces, state-of-the-art clinical areas and award-winning gardens.
“In today’s statement, there is a passing reference to developing better outreach services, to support people in their own homes when needed.
“While Mountbatten is grateful to hear some funding will be made available for the critically important hospice sector, the devil will be in the detail and this will not be made available until the new year.
“There appears to be no mention in today’s announcement about funding to retain our existing clinical staff or to employ new clinical staff, in order to support the growing number of people who need hospice care. There is no promise to cover the costs of forthcoming National Insurance increases, future NHS pay awards and the growing demands on services, which become more critical, year-on-year.
“At Mountbatten, there has been a 250 per cent rise in people receiving care at home in recent years and this is set to rise further.
“The government says it is committed to moving healthcare into the community. It says the palliative and end-of-life care sector, including hospices, will have a big role to play in that shift.
“Mountbatten already delivers these services 24/7, in homes across the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, and utilises huge amounts of charitable income towards this, as current NHS funding is not sufficient to sustain the level of need, let alone to expand.
“There are already times when we cannot respond in the way we want or in the ways people need and deserve, because we simply do not have the staff resources to do it. It is not an option to ignore those at their most vulnerable.
“We are happy the government has highlighted the exceptional and much-needed work of hospices and are grateful for their response to the urgent need. However, we eagerly await more about what today’s announcement will mean in reality and would urge the government to ensure it invests in skilled hands-on staff — expert nurses, doctors and community care teams — enabling hospices to employ more such staff in the future, alongside buildings and infrastructure.
“Being able to afford skilled staff must remain the priority, for the immediate and foreseeable future.”
Investment in digital and integrated care
A portion of the capital funding will support the digital transformation of hospice services.
This includes upgrades to IT systems and the integration of palliative care with broader community health services, ensuring patients receive joined-up treatment.
Kinnock: Enables hospices to provide the best possible care to their patients
Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, highlighted the importance of the investment,
“The £100 million capital investment that the government is announcing today will allow hospices to improve their physical and operational environment, enabling them to provide the best possible care to their patients.”
Looking ahead
Detailed funding arrangements will be shared with the hospice sector in the new year. NHS England has also published guidance and service specifications to help Integrated Care Boards prioritise palliative and end-of-life care.
With around 170 adult hospices and 40 children’s hospices in England, this investment promises to make a significant difference, ensuring that every person nearing the end of life receives care in a compassionate and supportive setting.
For those relying on hospice services, this funding represents hope and reassurance at one of life’s most challenging moments.
Comment from Island MPs
Isle of Wight West Labour MP, Richard Quigley, told OnTheWight,
“This is great news for hospices up and down the country and especially for our own Mountbatten Hospice.
“Hospice care is vital to the overall health service and I’m extremely pleased our government is acting in a supportive and responsible way to ensure the best quality care is delivered.”
Robertson: These separate funding announcements are so important and have been too long coming
Conservative Isle of Wight East MP, Joe Robertson, told OnTheWight,
“I am pleased the Government has finally made an announcement on better funding for hospices which will help Mountbatten here on the Island. Along with GP practices, community pharmacies and social care providers, hospices have faced weeks of uncertainty following the Budget which squeezed them with National Insurance tax rises.
“Yesterday, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting promised to make funding announcements for GPs, pharmacies, and social care providers by the end of January when I questioned him at Select Committee, so I look forward to those announcements soon. Non-NHS providers do not directly benefit from NHS spending from Government, but they do face the costs of healthcare staff pay awards, inflation and national minimum wage rises. That is why these separate funding announcements are so important and have been too long coming.
“I am pleased to have been able to work with Mountbatten locally, and with cross-party colleagues including on the Health and Social Care Select Committee nationally, to help persuade the Government to act and give certainty to hospices before Christmas.”
Read more about the funding announcement on the Government website.
Article edit
7.20pm 19th Dec 2024 – JR and NH comments added
