Norfolk charity says autumn budget must secure financial future of hospices
Hospice UK says staff costs are the most significant issue for hospices
Last updated 30th Oct 2024
A hospice charity in Norfolk tells us the sector needs to be given more financial security in today's Autumn budget, to tackle rising debts fuelled by dwindling donations.
It's as research from Hospice UK, which represents the sector, shows that adult hospices in England have seen a real-terms cut in Government funding of nearly £50 million over the past two years.
Official estimates show that it costs £1.6 billion to run hospices across the UK, every year, with over two third of this money having to be raised by charities, themselves.
Hospice UK says staff costs is the most significant issue for hospices, representing around 71% of a charity's average annual spend.
"Hospices aren't just about treatment"
Fearn Ainsworth is from Priscilla Bacon Hospice, based near Norwich.
She told us why more money would be a wise investment: "Hospices do an amazing amount of work to keep people out of hospitals and to try and keep people in their homes.
"There's been a huge movement around supporting people at home with their end of life care. But it's not something that everybody can, is able to or would like to.
"Hospices aren't just about treatment they're about signposting people to the right places and comforting people.
"I think that if Hospices weren't there, a lot of people would automatically go into hospitals, with resources such as 24/7 helplines being gone."
Issues facing Hospices:
Hospice UK say demand for hospice care is growing, for several reasons:
-Demographic trends mean that the annual number of deaths—currently approaching 650,000—is steadily increasing. It will reach 780,000 in 2040.
-Our ageing population means that more and more people are living with complex, long-term conditions such as frailty and dementia, which require specialist management.
-Medical advances mean that more children are being born and living longer with life-limiting conditions.
-There is greater demand for services such as counselling and bereavement care, as the importance of these interventions is increasingly understood.
-There is growth in demand for hospice care services to be delivered in different locations, including hospices, homes, hospitals, care homes, and virtually.
-There is pressing need to reach currently underserved communities and people who are missing out.
-There is greater demand being created by pressures on other health and care services, which threatens to leave hospices to fill the gaps.
What's the Government said on this?
Labour's 2024 manifesto spoke about the need to integrate health and care services to improve treatment.
It also said more care should happen outside hospitals.
It said it would trial neighbourhood health centres by bringing existing services, which could include palliative care, under one roof.