Yesterday the Public Accounts Committee published a report into the financial sustainability of hospices in England. It found that government is not responding to the growing financial crisis in the adult hospice sector with the seriousness and urgency needed.
LOROS Chief Executive Camilla Barrow responds to the reports findings.
“This report reflects the reality facing hospices like ours across the country. Over the past year, we have had to make the most difficult decisions to reduce services in order to stabilise deficit budgets. These decisions are not taken lightly, and they have a direct impact on patients, families and staff.
"While recent increases in integrated care board funding are a positive step for LOROS, they are not yet enough to restore services to the level communities need. Many hospices like ours are still unable to fully reopen beds, reinstate day hospice provision, or meet growing demand. The result is that we are doing less at a time when we know we need to do more.
"Hospice care is a critical and highly impactful part of the healthcare system. How people are supported in the last years of life and at the end of life matters deeply. Demand is increasing, complexity is growing and services must be supported to respond.
"As a sector, we must also continue to evolve how care is delivered, developing new models that better meet the needs of our populations.
"There is a clear need for meaningful reform to ensure sustainable and equitable funding for hospices and palliative care.
"We have a system everyone agrees is essential, but it’s being allowed to erode at the very moment it’s needed most. This growing gap between rising need and shrinking services must be addressed urgently to ensure everyone receives the care and dignity they deserve.”
