Government announces funding for hospices

Hospices across England will receive £100m in capital funding for this year and next, the government announced this week.

The funding is designed to help refurbish bathrooms and bedrooms and other parts of their buildings, upgrade IT and improve outdoor spaces. It will be spread over the remainder of this financial year and 2025-26. A further £26m will be allocated to help hospices for children and young with running costs, during 2025-26.

Funding will flow through integrated care boards (ICBs) under their remit to commission palliative care services. ICB allocations will be made in the New Year.

Around 170 hospices provide end-of-life care for adults, and around 40 for children and young people in England, with some providing care to both. Most are charitable organisations that receive some but not full statutory funding for providing NHS services.

The hospice sector has welcomed the extra funding but there are still concerns about the impact of NICS increases, as the £100m will not go towards running costs such as staff salaries.