“Huge missing piece” in Budget says Liberal Democrat MP, as hospices now face funding “cliff-edge”

The Chancellor’s speech did not mention hospices at all, despite featuring several new funding measures for the NHS.

The Liberal Democrats have already called on the government to address the urgent crisis in the care sector or risk failing to fix the wider healthcare crisis in England.

Luke Taylor said: 

“It is desperately frustrating that, despite calls from politicians like myself and hospices across the country, the Chancellor has failed to bring forward a new funding model for hospices in today’s budget.

“In fact, in a speech that ran for almost an hour and a half, the word hospices was not mentioned once.

“Without this huge missing piece of the puzzle the Government will not be able to truly fix the crisis in health and social care.

“Hospices play a vital role in our society - providing essential care at the most difficult times, and ensuring that people are given the dignity they deserve in their final days.

“Too many hospices like St Raph’s in my constituency are today facing a cliff-edge and without a new funding model from the Government they may have to close their doors. That is utterly unacceptable and would be a mark of shame for this Government.”

Currently most hospices are funded jointly by finance from the local Integrated Care Board and private donations. This has led to what some have described as a “postcode lottery” in accessing good quality hospice care.

Luke Taylor recently tabled a bill in Parliament that proposes a way forward for Hospice funding.

The Hospices and Healthcare (Report on Funding) Bill would make the Government explore the option of providing the funding hospices need via NHS England - to end the postcode lottery and make sure that hospices no longer need to rely on charitable donations for their survival.