Hospices face 745 million pound funding gap
Hospices in England and Wales face a £745m funding gap as government funding lags behind costs, forcing cuts to beds and jobs.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Hospices across England and Wales are facing a funding gap of 745 million pounds, according to new data from Hospice UK. The shortfall, which has grown steadily over the past decade, is forcing many services to cut beds, jobs and support for patients and families.
The figures show that in the latest year, government funding for hospices was just over 450 million pounds, while the actual cost of delivering care was around 1.2 billion pounds. That leaves a gap of 745 million pounds, which hospices have to cover through fundraising. The gap was 414 million pounds in 2012 and 650 million pounds in 2023, before rising to 745 million in 2024.
The financial strain is already having a visible impact. At a hospice in Southport, the number of beds has been halved and around 10% of staff have been made redundant. Ian, a patient with advanced cancer, said the hospice had given him hope after his diagnosis. "I lost all hope. Coming through the doors, I walked in and it was, this hope came back strong," he said. But he added that further cuts to services, including telephone support, were hard to fathom.
At St Cuthbert's Hospice in Durham, the charity has had to cut specialist counselling services. Dr Ellie Parker, a clinician there, said the loss of in-house support was difficult for patients and staff. "It's already a difficult job, but then to feel like you're losing valued members of your team, extra support for patients and families, that's really difficult," she said.
Hospice UK, which represents the sector, said the current funding model was not fit for purpose. The NHS covers only about a quarter of hospice budgets, and that funding has not kept pace with inflation and rising employer costs. The rest must come from community fundraising, which is becoming harder to sustain.
The Department of Health said it had made the biggest investment in hospices in a generation, providing 205 million pounds to improve facilities and for children's hospices. It said it was working to create a more sustainable funding model. But hospice leaders warn that without more support, patients will end up back in hospital, putting even more pressure on the NHS.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | Channel 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 33 hospices have made or planned cuts to bed numbers and jobs. | · | |
| Hospice deficits doubled to more than 70 million pounds in the last financial year. | · | |
| St Cuthbert's Hospice gets about 30% of its funding from central government. | · | |
| The funding gap for hospices reached 745 million pounds in 2024. | · | |
| The government has provided 205 million pounds for hospice facilities and children's hospices. | · | |
| The NHS funds about a quarter of hospice budgets. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the human impact of the funding crisis, telling the story of one hospice in Southport and a patient named Ian. It highlighted the emotional toll of job cuts and the reduction in services, and included a response from the Department of Health. It did not provide the overall funding gap figure, instead concentrating on the local effects.
- “I lost all hope. Coming through the doors, I walked in and it was, this hope came back strong.”
- “It doesn't make sense. We're closing hospice beds, we're reducing numbers of visits to people's homes.”
- “Where's that going to go? Because of no funding or arguing over funding. I can't fathom it, I can't fathom it.”
Channel 4 provided exclusive data on the funding gap, showing the exact figures and the historical trend. It focused on the systemic funding model and the impact on a specific hospice in Durham, including the loss of counselling services. The tone was more analytical and data-driven, with a clear explanation of the shortfall.
- “It's already a difficult job, but then to feel like you're losing valued members of your team, extra support for patients and families, that's really difficult.”
- “We're just going to see more pressure on the NHS.”
- “The service is really very important. It makes a considerable difference.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.