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Hospice leaders warn hundreds of beds out of use | Global News Avenue

Hospice leaders warn hundreds of beds out of use

A person's hand holds the patient's hand on the bed with medical equipment in the backgroundGetty Images

Around 300 hospice beds in England are currently closed or out of use, hospice leaders have warned.

They said a lack of funding and staff was the main reason why some of England’s 170 hospices had to permanently close beds or take them out of use.

Hospices UK, which represents the sector, is now calling on the government to provide an emergency funding package to prevent further cuts. The Ministry of Health said it was studying how to provide financial support to hospices to ensure their sustainable development.

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Hospice leaders have been warning of a financial crisis for much of this year.

They argue that revenue from health services has lagged behind rising costs, with some hospices announcing clinical job cuts.

Only around a third of the funding comes from the NHS, with the rest having to be raised through donations, fundraising and charity shops.

For hospices providing community and inpatient care, there are growing concerns over the prospect of higher employer National Insurance contributions.

Hospices UK says that of the 2,200 beds in England, around 300 are closed or out of use and the number is increasing.

The group is calling on the government to provide £110m of new funding to prevent further cuts next year.

“A huge hat”

Annette Alcock, director of Hospices England, said the way hospices are funded and commissioned by the NHS “puts huge constraints on what they can do”, while also blaming “underlying pressures such as staff shortages”.

She added: “These figures are clear evidence that hospices can do more for patients and more can be done for the NHS if the government takes action to address these issues in both the short and long term.

“The same is true in the community, where most hospice care is actually provided.

“With better funding and commissioning, hospices can deliver more care where people need it most – at home.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The choices made by the Chancellor in the Budget enable us to invest an additional £26 billion in the NHS.

“We are looking at how we can provide financial support to hospices over the next year to ensure they are sustainable.”

Health Minister Wes Streeting has previously said a financial package would be announced before Christmas.

Hospice leaders say around £100m will stabilize its balance sheet until at least the end of next year and cover the cost of higher national insurance contributions. But they added that more efforts are needed to significantly improve the quality of care.

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