Media statement: Assisted Dying debate must be matched by urgent action on hospice funding

Ahead of the House of Commons vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday 11 September, St Christopher’s Hospice – the home of the modern hospice movement – is urging the Government and MPs to ensure high-quality palliative and end of life care is available to everyone who needs it. 

St Christopher’s remains neutral on whether the law should change. However, the debate has underlined a point on which the Prime Minister Andy Burnham and MPs across parties and on both sides of the argument have agreed: people approaching the end of life must have access to properly funded hospice and palliative care. 

Steve Smith, Chief Executive of St Christopher’s, says: 

“St Christopher’s is neutral on whether the law should change, but we’re clear that everyone at the end of life should have access to high-quality palliative and end of life care. 

“Right now, hospice funding is not sustainable. Nearly 60% of hospices have made or are considering cuts to frontline services, while demand continues to rise. At St Christopher’s, demand in south London has increased by nearly 50% over the past six years, and our teams completed 13% more home visits in the last year alone. 

“We have protected our services so far, but the pressure for many hospices is immediate. In south London, our communities generously raise tens of millions of pounds each year, but charitable giving cannot substitute for a fair, sustainable national funding settlement. 

“Whatever MPs decide on Assisted Dying, investment in hospices must be treated as an urgent priority in the new modern service framework for palliative care.  

“The Government should fully fund specialist palliative care commissioned by the NHS, provide fair multi-year contracts that rise with costs, establish consistent funding across the country and enable hospices to match NHS pay awards. 

“Politicians must now follow through on their support for hospice and palliative care and deliver fair funding before more services are forced to close or cut back. 

“Whatever happens after the votes are counted, we want to reassure our community that we will continue to be delivering high-quality palliative and end of life care across south London for everyone who needs it.”