A York MP has called for more government help as a city hospice faces a £1 million deficit.

St Leonard’s Hospice, based in Tadcaster Road, has only received a 1.8 per cent increase in funding from the government to cope with inflation, despite its lack of funds.

Speaking in Westminster, York Central MP Rachael Maskell said: “For our dedicated hospice staff to provide this essential care, they are having to rely on increasingly fragile resources.

“We know that without urgent intervention the cost-of-living scandal will have a devastating impact on the care that hospices in the UK are able to provide going forward.

“It is ridiculous to think that in a cost-of-living crisis, such a critical part of the health and care system, providing specialised care and support can be run on a shoestring.

“Rising costs present a huge challenge to the sector, completely outstripping the ability to raise money through fundraising or income from charity shops.

“We know that on average, adult hospices have to raise around two-thirds of their income through charity fundraising. It is simply not a sustainable situation and looking to the future, it is critical that the government protect hospices and the essential services they provide.

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“We should all be able to live knowing that there is security at the end of life.

“That is why I have joined together with end-of-life charities, campaigners, families and other members of parliament to demand immediate action from the government to ensure our hospices can continue to deliver vital services to those in need.”

Hospice UK has reported that 96 per cent of hospices are budgeting for a deficit in 2023/4 and that 86 per cent of hospices will have come to the end of a fixed-price deal by the end of the year.

A spokesman for Hospice UK said: “This could mean fewer patients supported by hospices at the end of life.

“In turn, that means greater pressure on the NHS as those patients turn back to hospitals and other NHS services for end-of-life care.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have made over £400 million available to hospices since 2020 to secure and increase additional NHS capacity and enable hospital discharge, ensuring hospices can continue to deliver care to those who need it. Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations who remain free to set their own salary rates at their chosen level.”