Hospices may be forced to turn patients away amid funding crisis, sector warns

Hospice bosses have warned they are facing an “insurmountable funding gap”, with concerns mounting that they may have to turn people away.

Insisting “funding is in crisis”, the chief executives of more than a dozen hospices joined together to urge political leaders to “forge a new course” in next month’s Holyrood Budget.

They said hospices are a “key part” of the health and care system, but they are not part of the NHS – with charities instead having to fund their running costs.

Making a plea for “sustainable hospice funding” to be part of the Budget on December 4, they said cost pressures are worsening.

Their financial situation was outlined in a letter to the Herald newspaper from the chief executives of hospice organisations including Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (Chas), the Accord Hospice, the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice and several others, as well as from the associate directors of Marie Curie Scotland – which provides care for terminally ill patients at home and in hospices.

The letter said the hospice sector provides “dignified care” for about 21,000 patients every year – as well as support for their families and loved ones – but they are “struggling enormously”.

Setting out how they rely on “generous donations and fundraising” for staff such as nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, counsellors and support staff, they said rises in NHS wages could leave them facing extra costs.

They said it is “near impossible” for them to match the 5.5% pay rise given to NHS clinical and support staff, and the 10.5% increase given to consultant doctors.

In addition they told how the costs of heating, transport and supplies had “soared” and the rise in employer national insurance contributions announced in the UK Budget alone would add another £2.5 million to their wage bill from April.

As a result, they said: “Scottish hospices face an insurmountable funding gap.

“There is now a risk that, for the first time ever, hospices will have to turn people away.

“Cutting services is the last thing any of us want to do. It would break our hearts. We promise to do everything we can to avoid that, but we also have to balance the books.”

They raised their concerns as they told political leaders that next month’s Scottish Budget, to be unveiled by Finance Secretary Shona Robison, presents an “opportunity for our political parties to forge a new course”.

They added: “Supporting hospices is not only the right thing to do for patients and families, it is the right thing to do for the health care system. Hospice care reduces pressure on our overstretched NHS.”

Warning that Scotland’s ageing population means in future more people are likely to need hospice care, they said by providing “sustainable hospice funding, people’s experience of death and dying in Scotland could be transformed”.

The hospice chief executives said: “Ahead of the Scottish Government Budget in December, we are urgently calling for cross-party consensus on sustainable hospice funding, so care at the end of life is as it should be and everyone has access to palliative care where and when they need it.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are deeply concerned that many vital frontline services – including hospices – are facing uncertainty due to the impact of the UK Government’s increase to employer national insurance.

“We are aware that the UK Government has suggested that it will develop support for the hospice sector and we are seeking clarification as to what this might mean in practice.

“Independent hospices are highly valued and we understand the pressures they are facing, which is why health ministers continue to engage with the sector and hold open and honest discussions with hospice leaders, as well as continuing to work with the integrated joint board chiefs and independent hospices to support the longer term sustainability of planning and commissioning.”