A £100m investment, said to be the biggest a generation, is to be made in the UK’s 200-plus hospices.
The funding will help hospices this year and next to provide the best end of life care to patients and their families in a supportive and dignified physical environment.
Hospices for children and young people will also receive a further £26 million revenue funding for 2025/26 through what until recently was known as the Children’s Hospice Grant.
The government is committed to ensuring every person has access to high-quality end of life care and, as part of its Plan for Change is taking immediate action to rebuild the health service and deliver improved standards of care, making sure it is fit for the future.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Hospices provide the care and support for patients and families at the most difficult time so it is only right they are given the financial support to provide these services.
“This package will ensure they will be able to continue to deliver the compassionate care everyone deserves as they come to the end of their life in the best possible environment.”
The investment will go towards helping hospices to improve their buildings, equipment, and accommodation to ensure that patients continue to receive the best care possible, including refurbishing bedrooms and bathrooms for patients and providing comfortable overnight facilities for families, improving IT systems making it easier for GPs and hospitals to share vital data on patients.
The money will also help towards improving garden and outdoor spaces so patients and their families can spend time outdoors in greener and cleaner spaces.
Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said: “Today’s announcement will be hugely welcomed by hospices, and those who rely on their services. Hospices not only provide vital care for patients and families, but also relieve pressure on the NHS.
“This funding will allow hospices to continue to reach hundreds of thousands of people every year with high-quality, compassionate care. We look forward to working with the government to make sure everyone approaching the end of life gets the care and support they need, when and where they need it.”
