Hospices in England are cutting hundreds of beds and staff because of a funding crisis, despite a sharp rise in demand for palliative care, a damning report warns. People needing end of life care faced a postcode lottery because access to services was so patchy, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported. A lack of government oversight meant ministers were unaware of how reliant they were on independent hospices, its 52-page report found.
Hospices are on the brink and two in five are making cuts this year despite the importance of end-of-life care if assisted dying becomes legal, the sector has warned before the first House of Lords debate on the legislation. Hospice UK, which represents the sector, said many were financially struggling and still in the dark about how funding for end-of-life care will be improved when assisted dying legislation is passed.