York: St Leonard’s Hospice calls for more government funding

Emma Johnson, chief executive at St Leonard’s Hospice, told The Press the hospice received a 1.2 per cent uplift in government funding on what it received last year.

This, she explained, fell “well short of the actual increase in costs” the hospice has experienced and means it faces the next financial year with a £800,000 deficit in its budget.

Ms Johnson added that the hospice receives around 27 per cent (just under £2 million) of its total running costs from government funding.

Emma Johnson, chief executive at St Leonard’s Hospice (Image: Duncan Lomax)

The remaining 73 per cent is raised through the “hard work and support” of its “dedicated” team of staff plus volunteers and supporters from the community, she said.

“We remain financially secure and have good levels of reserve to support our ongoing work in the short term. However, these reserves will not last if we continue to see such poor levels of statutory funding in the coming years,” Ms Johnson added.

St Leonards Hospice in York (Image: Supplied)

The chief executive said everyone living with a life-limiting illness “should have access to the best possible care and be supported to die well”.

“To have services providing care for patients and families at their most vulnerable time funded mainly by the fantastic efforts of our donors and supporters is simply unacceptable. 

“We would not accept this of maternity services and we should not accept it for end of life care.”

UK hospice sector facing 'worst financial results' in around 20 years, warns charity boss

Ms Johnson's concerns come as the chief executive of Hospice UK, Toby Porter, said the last year had seen the “worst financial results for the hospice sector in around 20 years”.

The UK hospice sector is reporting an estimated collective deficit of £77 million for the 2023-24 financial year, according to Hospice UK’s quarterly financial benchmarking survey.

The national charity for hospice and end of life care said the shortfall was being driven by staffing costs as charitable hospices struggle to match NHS pay rises, with the majority of hospice expenditure spent on salaries.

Payroll costs have surged by 11 per cent, with approximately £130 million in additional spending over the full year, the Hospice UK survey revealed.

Hospices recruit from the same pool of staff as the NHS, meaning they aim to match health service pay and conditions to “attract and retain skilled staff to care for people at the end of their lives”, the charity said.

Results 'extremely worrying' - Harrogate hospice boss

Mr Porter said the results of its survey were “unsustainable and extremely worrying”.

Tony Collins, chief executive of Harrogate-based Saint Michael’s Hospice, added: “With our costs rising at a staggering rate and inflation hitting over eight per cent, to be met with a rise in government funding of just 1.2 per cent is not fair and is not right.

“Our funding gap alone is half a million pounds, we know hospices up and down the country are experiencing the same funding gap too, and together we must be heard,” he continued.

“Dignity in dying and high-quality end of life care isn’t a privilege, it’s a right.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We want everyone to have access to the high-quality, personalised palliative care that can make all the difference at such a difficult time.

“That’s why we require all local NHS integrated care boards to commission end-of-life care services to meet their patients’ needs.

“While the majority of palliative and end-of-life care is provided via GPs, hospitals and community health services, we recognise the incredibly valuable role the charity sector plays in providing hospice care and supporting loved ones.

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“Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations with their own terms and conditions of employment.

“The government has provided £60 million in additional funding, including to some hospices, to deliver one-off payments to over 27,000 eligible staff employed by non-NHS organisations.”

MPs were due to debate hospice funding in the House of Commons on Monday (April 15) during a backbench business debate called by Peter Gibson but the debate was withdrawn. 

Mr Gibson said on X that it was withdrawn as the "important debate needs time in the chamber for the more than 25 MPs planning to speak".

Ms Johnson said the government must "act to provide more funding for hospice care", adding that she hoped the future debate would be "the first step towards this".