Hospices are facing a funding crisis. Almost every hospice in the UK budgeted for a deficit in 2023/24, with Hospice UK estimating a shortfall of £77 million across the sector. This is not sustainable in the long term and will result in hospices being forced to cut services, as some are already doing.
This year, we estimate it could cost £19 million to run Birmingham Hospice, and 42% of that must come from fundraised income. The last few years have seen a big increase in costs, including the price we pay for energy, food and drugs, and a shortfall in funding for staff pay awards.
The recent government announcement of a rise in employer National Insurance contributions means Birmingham Hospice will face further financial burden and increased pressure on our services.
End of life care is the only part of the NHS that has never been fully funded, despite its stated purpose of being a ‘cradle to grave’ service. The hospice sector helps to take pressure off the NHS by supporting those with a terminal diagnosis in our Inpatient Units and the community, and if we are forced to reduce the number of people we can help, that would cause longer waits for treatment elsewhere.
We are calling on the government to do more to ensure that hospices are properly funded, so that we can continue to provide expert palliative and end of life care for all local people who need it.
How you can help:
- Download our letter to send to your local MP, asking them to protect our funding. Find your MP here.
- Sign our petition demanding better funding for hospice care.
- Talk to your friends and family about what we do.
- Invite a club or society you’re a member of to support us.
Please keep checking this page to find out the latest on our campaigns and how you can support them.
(Top image by Ayesha Jones)
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