George takes Cornwall Hospice’s “highly challenging” future to Westminster
West Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP, Andrew George, will challenge health ministers to bolster the support for hospices across the country. Many are now facing cuts to vital hospice care, and Cornwall Hospice Care (CHC) has confirmed to Andrew that it has only endured the last two years of “no inflationary uplift” from the NHS because of “the outstanding support from the Cornish Community”.
Andrew said, “many hospices are on the brink of collapse unless Government ministers step in now.”
The warning comes amid news that 2 in 5 hospices nationally are planning cuts this year, with 50% of children’s hospices saying they may reduce or stop providing end-of-life care altogether if new funding is not guaranteed within six months. More than half of hospices ended the 2024-5 financial year in deficit, with one in five seeing a deficit of over £1m.
CHC CEO, Paul Brinsley, told Andrew, “We have received no inflationary uplift to our NHS funding (from Cornwall & Isles of Scilly ICB) for the past two years. This despite significant inflationary costs plus an unlooked for £250,000 hike in NI. Whilst we are not implementing cost savings in the current financial year (due to outstanding support from the Cornish community), the future is highly challenging.”
Sector hospice leaders are cautioning that “time is running out” for hospices across England and Cornwall.
The Liberal Democrats are putting pressure on Wes Streeting to step in. They have launched a campaign to “save our hospices” – with calls to end the postcode lottery of care by allocating funding based on need, and for protected ringfenced funding for children’s hospices. They are also demanding that April’s national insurance hike, which has cost hospices £34m, be urgently reversed, and for additional support to protect bereavement services.
The party’s Care Spokesperson, Alison Bennett MP, has tabled a Bill in Parliament today, supported by Andrew, as part of the campaign, to guarantee universal access to hospices and require the Secretary of State to come clean on the current gap in hospice funding.
Andrew said, “Hospices face an uncertain future. Paul Brinsley says Cornwall’s Hospice’s future is “highly challenging”, while across the country, staff are laid off and beds are closed.
Paul Brinsley added, “Hospice funding varies dramatically around the Country, a level playing field with all Hospices receiving 50% funding would be a huge step towards guaranteeing the highest quality of palliative care.”
Andrew added, “The Government must step in now and answer our calls to protect children’s hospice funding, reverse the National Insurance hike that costs hospices £34 million, and make sure funding always matches local need.
“My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are campaigning to protect our hospices. No one should face their final days in pain, on a busy hospital ward, or even in isolation.”
For more information on the Liberal Democrat campaign, see here.
Hospices rely on a mix of funding, with around a third coming from the NHS and the rest dependent on charitable donations. The cost-of-living crisis has reduced donations, and rising costs have contributed to a £47m funding shortfall nationally between 2022 and 2024. No new emergency support beyond capital funding has been announced.
The number of people dying in a hospice has risen from 26,566 in 2020 to 29,772 in 2024:
ONS, Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional, 2020 edition
ONS, Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional, 2024 edition
2025 is set to see a higher number of people die in a hospice versus 2024.
2024 saw an average of 572 people a week die in a hospice, while 2025, has so far seen an average of 611 people a week die in a hospice (up to the 5th of September data set).
Initial Hospice UK statement on 2 in 5 hospices cutting services this year.
NICs impact on hospices here.
Figures on real terms cuts for hospices here.