Hospice UK, which represents over 200 hospices, has delivered a letter to Downing Street to demand an additional £112.5m in recurring revenue funding, among other measures, from the government.
The move comes after the membership body reported recently that nearly six in 10 hospices in England had made, or were planning, cuts to frontline services.
A one-off investment of £100m for hospices, distributed by Hospice UK, was provided by the government last financial year but the umbrella body is now calling for recurring funding.
In a letter addressed to prime minister Keir Starmer, the organisation wrote: “Our sector urgently needs a fair funding model that will save existing services.
“This would also enable us to meet rising demand and support the delivery of the 10-year health plan, ensuring hospice care is available to everyone who needs it, wherever they live.”
In the same letter, the charity also called on the government to introduce a four-point plan for “fairer” hospice funding, which would include full funding of specialist palliative care; NHS contracts for hospices and money to cover the costs of pay rises.
The £112.5m in recurring revenue funding towards specialist palliative care will be part of the first step of the plan.
Charlie King, director of external affairs at Hospice UK, said: “Behind this moment is a stark reality: nearly 60% of hospices are cutting frontline services.
“These aren’t abstract figures – they translate into fewer people receiving the care they need at the end of life, and mounting pressure on an already overstretched NHS. We must act now to prevent further cuts to the care that people need at the end of their lives.
“The government’s commitment to a modern service framework for palliative and end-of-life care is welcome, and the sector stands ready to help deliver it. But many hospices cannot wait. They need urgent, sustainable funding now to prevent further cuts.”
