
‘Hospices are in retreat': funding crisis squeezing UK palliative care providers
At the end of 2023, St Catherine's hospice near Crawley, West Sussex, moved to a new purpose-built, state-of-the art building. Twenty-four private rooms with en suite bathrooms and French doors leading to individual terraces were designed to make the final days of a patient's life as peaceful as possible. Medical equipment was concealed, beloved pets were welcome to visit, and a drinks trolley came round each evening.
The hospice had cost almost £20m to build and equip, every penny raised by donations, legacies, charity events, trusts and foundations. The land was a gift from a local businessman.
Fifteen months later, half the rooms are mothballed and 40 jobs have been lost. Patients have to meet a higher threshold for admission, and a 24/7 helpline for those caring for dying people at home has been reduced to eight hours a day, Monday to Friday.
The cuts are the result of a funding crisis shared by most of the UK's 200 palliative care sector. 'Hospices are in retreat,' said Giles Tomsett, the CEO of St Catherine's for the past 11 years. This is happening, he pointed out, just as the baby boomer generation is about to need end-of-life care on a significant scale.
According to Hospice UK, a body that represents more than 200 hospices, many have had to make 'tough decisions' about the services they provide. Last year one in five hospices warned of service cuts, and 300 beds have been taken out of commission.
In recent months, St Michael's in Basingstoke has warned its future is uncertain because of 'unprecedented financial pressures'. The 26-bed Marie Curie hospice in Liverpool closed temporarily last summer, but may never reopen. Three hospices in North Yorkshire have warned that job losses and cuts to services may be needed. St Giles in Lichfield closed eight beds and cut 21 jobs. Dorothy House in Somerset has said that without support for staffing costs, it will be forced to cut services.
Although hospices are a crucial provider of care for dying people, government funding averages at 30% of their total costs, according to Hospice UK. The sector is forced to rely on fundraising, charity shops, donations, legacies and grants for the rest. And the proportion of state money received by individual hospices varies significantly, resulting in a postcode lottery of provision.
In December, the government announced a £100m investment to fund improvements in hospice buildings and equipment rather than running costs.
Hospice UK welcomed the move. 'It will ease some of those pressures and allow hospices to invest in their infrastructure,' said Toby Porter, the organisation's CEO. But, he added, 'the fact remains that hospices are still in very challenging financial positions'.
In recent months, the funding of end-of-life and palliative care has been highlighted in the debate on whether assisted dying should be legalised. A commission, set up by MPs to identify strengths and shortfalls in provision, is expected to report soon.
Sean O'Sullivan had direct experience of the hospice sector when his wife, Christine, was admitted to Katharine House in Banbury, Oxfordshire, last autumn in the final stages of cancer.
The day before she died, she was moved to a private room. O'Sullivan stayed with her, lying alongside her as she took her final breath. 'It gave me great comfort. She died very peacefully,' he said.
The care provided by the hospice was superb, said O'Sullivan. 'It was very personal, never rushed, attentive to the individual. I am forever grateful.' A hospital ward would have been 'noisy and distracting, with staff rushed off their feet', he added.
But it was 'pure luck' that a bed was available for Christine. 'There is so much pressure on places. I feel that the experience we had should be an option for everyone,' O'Sullivan said.
In contrast, Paul Harwood has been unable to find any hospice care for his father in Pembrokeshire. 'We are paying huge amounts for a home care because there are no other options and no one can give us any help. As far as I can tell, there is no hospice-type care in west Wales for hundreds of miles. The system is broken and only getting more broken,' he said.
Emily, a clinical nurse specialist who assesses and refers patients for transfer from a big city hospital to local hospices, said: 'Every hospice in my area has cut beds, and some have lost senior clinical roles. It's a huge postcode lottery. While I've been doing this job over the past three years, your chances of getting a hospice place have got lower.
'A lot of my job is about expectation management. I have to caveat everything I say. Families become really distressed when they are told there's no bed available. These conversations are really difficult.'
At St Catherine's, the cutbacks have been heartbreaking, said Tomsett. 'We have 12 beds empty while dying people are being nursed in hospital corridors. We see fewer patients in the hospice or in the community which means the NHS has to pick up the slack.'
Shelley Goshawk, the hospice's ward matron, said: 'We always have a waiting list. Patients end up dying before they can get a bed. It's very difficult knowing that for every patient we look after, there are others that we can't care for.
'I really feel for the families. The ones that do get a bed can take a deep breath, it's such a relief. People say they can go back to being a husband or daughter again rather than a carer.'
St Catherine's costs about £12m a year to run, with just under £3m coming from the state. 'Last year, for the first time, we could see a deficit was likely to emerge this April,' said Tomsett. 'Our running costs have increased significantly over the past five years, and the cost of living crisis has on people's propensity to donate.'
The increases in employers' national insurance contributions and the living wage that come into effect next month will have a further impact on the hospice's budget, although Tomsett hopes that improved pay will help recruit people to do essential jobs such as cleaning, housekeeping and catering. 'I think the increase is right,' he said.
But the reliance on donations to fund hospices is unsustainable, he added. 'The NHS is looking to hospices, which are charities, to provide essential end-of-life care. Yet by underfunding palliative care, we are forced to cut back on services and get involved at a later stage.' In the end, it costs the NHS more, he said.
'Few hospices will actually close, but many will provide fewer and smaller services. And this is at a time our ageing population needs us more than ever. Baby boomers are about to swamp the whole of the NHS, hospice and palliative care system.'
Hospice UK hopes the government's 10-year plan for the NHS in England, due to be published this spring, will provide a joined-up approach to end-of-life care alongside more consistent funding.
'The plan must overhaul our approach to palliative and end-of-life care and ensure hospices like St Catherine's have the sustainable funding they need to support their local communities long into the future,' said Porter.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scotsman
41 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Chicken wine: UK shoppers spot new canned version of viral La Vieille Ferme
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. You can now buy the summer favourite wine in a can 🍷 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The viral 'chicken wine' is now being sold in a can The French wine La Vieille Ferme gained popularity in 2024 Fans of the wine can buy the canned version for less than £4 UK shoppers have spotted a brand new canned wine, which is sure to fly off the shelves during summer. In 2024, French wine brand La Vieille Ferme became a viral sensation due to the taste of its rosé offering. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, fans of the wine also loved the aesthetic of the bottle and its label which featured an illustration of chickens. The label led to La Vieille Ferme gaining the nickname 'chicken wine', which is still used by many. Canned version of viral chicken wine spotted by shoppers causing debate on social media | Panama - While 'chicken wine' decreased in popularity during the colder months of the year, it is now back on everyone's lips once again as we hit the summer season. However, it's not the glass wine bottle of 'chicken wine' that those are picking up for their barbecues, but rather the brand new canned version of the alcoholic beverage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad TikTok users have been sharing videos of finding the 'chicken wine' cans in Sainsbury's, expressing their delight at finding the popular wine in a can. Sainsbury's and Tesco appear to be the only UK supermarkets to stock La Vieille Ferme in a can so far, with it being priced at £3.10 at Sainsbury's and £2.75 at Tesco , both of which are stocking 200ml cans. While many have shared their excitement for the wine in a can on social media, commenting that it would be ideal for a summer picnic, others have debated whether it is worth the price for a 200ml can. One user said: "Chicken wine in a can! I know what I'm drinking all summer ', while another user said: "Wouldn't touch the sides at 200ml." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The regular 75cl bottle of La Vieille Ferme Rosé is available to purchase across a variety of UK supermarkets, with a price point between £8 and £9.


Fashion United
2 hours ago
- Fashion United
Sofitel revives hotel uniforms with Cordelia de Castellane
French luxury hotel chain Sofitel has collaborated with Paris-based French designer Cordelia de Castellane, who has been artistic director of Dior Home and Baby Dior since 2012, to revitalise the uniforms for its 25,000 employees worldwide. The new 45-piece collection will offer a new closet for all employees at Sofitel's 120-plus hotels worldwide, blending timeless silhouettes with practical needs, utilising a variety of fabrics, textures, and navy and beige colour palettes to ensure suitability for both city hotels and resorts. In a statement, Sofitel said that De Castellane's uniforms will suit all professions and destinations, while expressing 'an elegant, fluid, and boldly contemporary style' in reflection of the French luxury brand. Key looks include a belted shirtdress, a knitted dress and double-breasted jackets. Sofitel reinvents hotel uniform with French designer Cordelia de Castellane Credits: Sofitel Maud Bailly, chief executive of Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery and Emblems, said: 'The Sofitel Vestiaire is much more than a uniform: it's a manifesto. It's a tribute to our teams, who are the first to embody the renaissance of Sofitel. It reflects the joy of embracing a brand, the pride of being its ambassador, and the desire to wear our values in silk, knit, or cotton. 'We want this wardrobe to be emotionally resonant, exacting and refined, but also effortlessly chic. That's why we needed a visionary. This partnership with Cordelia de Castellane is the meeting of two visions of luxury, united by a shared passion for exceptional design." The new uniforms will embody 'French zest' and will be crafted using flexible and durable materials, which the hotel chain said will be internationally tested across pilot locations to meet 'the everyday needs of hotel staff'. The wardrobe will also adapt to all body types, roles, and climates, 'ensuring both comfort and elegance'. Sofitel reinvents hotel uniform with French designer Cordelia de Castellane Credits: Sofitel On the uniform design, De Castellane added: "For me, Sofitel is a madeleine de Proust. It brings back childhood memories, iconic hotels, and a very specific vision of French luxury. Sofitel is more than a hotel brand — it's a way of life, a natural elegance paired with a deep openness to the world. Paris was a major inspiration for this collection — because Paris means effortless chic, cultural richness, precision tailoring, and that uniquely bold creativity. 'I wanted to imagine a wardrobe that expresses this Parisian sophistication, but also the warmth of hospitality and the pride of representing a house. These are garments designed to last, to move with the body, and to make every team member feel beautiful, free, and proud." The design will also reflect Sofitel's dedication to responsible luxury and will be developed in partnership with Paris Good Fashion, an initiative that ensures every step of production respects principles of sustainability, repairability, and recyclability to reduce environmental impact and contribute to more responsible resource management.


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
TikTok blocks use of popular hashtag after concerns it promotes eating disorders
On June 1, TikTok blocked search results for 'Skinnytok' following a rising trend of dangerous content promoting eating disorders on the platform and concerns raised by European regulators TikTok has implemented a worldwide ban on a popular hashtag for its link to the promotion of extreme diets and exercise regimes. The company said the block is part of a regular review to 'address evolving risks' on its platform but comes after concerns were raised by European regulators. As of June 1, TikTok has blocked search results for 'SkinnyTok' and removed the hashtag globally. Content associated with the hashtag typically included videos targeting young women promoting extreme thinness and unhealthy ways to lose weight. "[We] have blocked search results for #skinnytok since it has become linked to unhealthy weight loss content," TikTok spokesperson Paolo Ganino said in a statement issued on Monday, June 2. Ganino said the move is part of a "regular review" of TikTok's safety measures "to address evolving risks". Users who now search for the hashtag will be directed to mental health support. The ban follows a boom in the trend in recent months, which saw the platform flooded with videos for and by young women glamourizing eating disorders like anorexia. The rise in the dangerous content reached the attention of both the European Commission and the French digital regulator Arcom. The European Commission investigated the 'Skinnytok' trend after France's Digital Minister Clara Chappaz lobbied for an investigation and created a public petition entitled to 'Stop Skinnytok'. After news of the ban was made public, Chappaz shared her excitement on X. 'Skinnytok is OVER!' the minister posted. 'This is a first collective victory. I salute it. However, the fight to protect our children online doesn't stop there. And I won't give up. Banning social media before 15 is my priority.' The protection of kids online is growing priority as countries consider proposals for new EU rules to curb children's social media use. TikTok's duty to guard against the harmful effects of the SkinnyTok hashtag were a feature of a call between the EU's Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath and TikTok CEO Shou Chew, as reported by Politico . Currently any search for 'skinnytok' or even 'skinniertok' yields the following message: 'You're not alone. If you or someone you know has questions about body image, food or exercise – it is important to know that help is out there and you are not alone. If you feel comfortable, you can confide in someone you trust or check out the resources below. Please remember to take care of yourselves and each other.' Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you! The message is followed by a help phone number and a link to the platform's Eating Disorder Safety Centre page. While it's a step forward, the ban will not necessarily mean the 'Skinnytok' trend is over. The TikTok community has a strong track record of pivoting with agility to navigate new regulations and user guidelines with new hashtags and code words. Still, social media platforms are being forced to take more accountability for the wellbeing of young users. A legal responsibility for online services to make their sites safe for children will finally come into force in this summer. Under the Online Safety Act, social media firms will be ordered to ensure they tame toxic algorithms, take faster action on removing harmful content and introduce proper age checks on their platforms. Tech companies will now be expected to begin assessing the risk of harm to children on their platforms after Ofcom's final children's safety codes were published today. From July these protections will be fully enforceable and services that don't comply could face serious enforcement action from Ofcom.