The head of a leading hospice has expressed cautious optimism over a new government commitment to palliative care, while issuing a stark warning about an ongoing funding crisis that is forcing bed closures across the sector.
Government Pledges Action but Withholds Cash
Rachel McMillan, Chief Executive of the Moya Cole Hospice, welcomed a speech by Care Minister Stephen Kinnock at last week's Hospice UK conference in Liverpool. The minister voiced the government's commitment to palliative and end-of-life care, aligning it with the new NHS 10-year plan.
However, the recent budget contained no new money to address what hospice leaders describe as an archaic and broken funding model. On average, only one third of hospice income comes from the NHS, with the rest reliant on public donations. With living costs soaring, this model is becoming unsustainable.
Beds Close as Demand Rises
The funding shortfall has forced hospices to make painful cuts. Moya Cole Hospice, which operates sites in Heald Green, Stockport and Little Hulton, Salford, reduced its bed capacity by 20% two years ago to secure its future.
This trend is national. Data from Hospice UK shows 380 hospice beds across the UK are currently unused, a rise from 300 in 2024. This is despite an ageing population with increasingly complex care needs.
"We need to be providing more hospice beds to meet growing demand, not taking them out of the system," McMillan stated. She warned that closures pile more pressure onto an already overstretched NHS.
A Framework for the Future
While immediate funding was absent, Minister Kinnock announced a new Modern Service Framework (MSF) for palliative and end-of-life care, due for publication in spring 2026. This framework is designed to guide Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in commissioning services tailored to local communities, with hospices playing a central role.
McMillan sees this as an "encouraging step" but stresses that an urgent overhaul of hospice funding is needed. Moya Cole Hospice, which provides a wide range of inpatient, day therapy, and community services including a Hospice at Home service in Salford and Trafford, remains eager to collaborate with health partners.
The hospice's 24-hour advice line continues to support patients, carers, and professionals across Salford, Manchester, Trafford, and Stockport.
