£75 million boost for hospices to transform end-of-life care

£75 million released to modernise facilities and deliver upgrades to hospices across England, including specially adapted beds, rooms and technology.

Families will see further improvements in end-of-life care as the government releases £75 million for hospices to deliver major upgrades and enhancements to facilities, including:

• separate family rooms
• solar panels to reduce energy costs
• communal lounges

More than 170 hospices across England will receive a share of the funding – the largest cash injection ever – to ensure patients receive the highest-quality end-of-life care in comfortable, dignified surroundings.

It follows a £25 million boost in February, delivering the government’s £100 million investment confirmed in December. This is already supporting urgent building repairs and creating warmer, homely spaces.

This cash marks a further step in the delivery of the government’s Plan for Change, improving care in the community where people need it most.

Hospices include Wigan and Leigh – visited by Health Minister Stephen Kinnock this week – which used its funding to replace a flat roof that was leaking. It will use the additional funding to replace its heating system, helping to create a better, more comfortable environment for patients and enabling staff to deliver higher-quality care.

Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said:

Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most.

At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity.

I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending.

End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.

I am pleased that the government is backing our local priorities. Including action to improve access to healthcare for everyone. This is one of my key priorities for the people of Lancaster and Wyre. More information about the work we’re taking can be found at http://www.catsmith.co.uk/health/.

Other improvements already made at hospices across the country include:

• major building works and modernised facilities
• the digital transformation to improve data sharing between healthcare providers
• the development of outreach services to extend care beyond physical buildings
• the creation of more welcoming spaces for families, including outdoor areas
• energy efficiency measures to improve sustainability

This includes Garden House Hospice Care in Stevenage, which has refurbished its integrated procedures unit with 8 new specially adapted beds and mattresses, and created a separate room for patients’ close family members to spend the night when needed. The hospice has also equipped all its nurses with laptops with single logins to stop them carrying too much equipment when visiting patients.

They now record their notes electronically and have become paperless, so that nurses can spend less time on administration and more time focusing on what matters most: providing compassionate care to patients and support to their families.

The new cash injection is for the financial year 2025 to 2026 and will be distributed by Hospice UK to hospices. Hospices have been allocated a pot of funding and will be able to proceed with upgrades, invoicing Hospice UK once work has been completed.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said:

The announcement in late 2024 of £100 million in capital funding for hospices was welcome recognition from the government of the immense pressure facing hospices, and their urgent need for more financial support.

We were pleased to distribute the first £25 million of this funding early in March. We know this money has made a huge difference to hospices, and the next £75 million will continue to help them invest in their buildings, facilities and digital infrastructure.

While this one-off investment has been very welcome, it’s critical that we continue to work with government to secure long-term reform to ensure hospice care is there for everyone who needs it, whoever and wherever they are.

The government has just emphasised the importance of hospices in their 10 Year Plan for the NHS and the role they can play in shifting care from hospitals into the community. With the right support, there is so much more they can do to realise the vision set out in the 10 Year Plan. We look forward to working with government to make this a reality.

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said:

Marie Curie welcomes this grant funding, which we will be investing in helping to ensure people living with terminal illness are well cared for across England – whether in our hospice buildings or in their own homes through improvements in use of digital technology.

We look forward to working with the government to ensure longer-term funding is put in place to ensure the best possible palliative care is sustainably available for everyone who needs it, including in their new neighbourhood health centres in the most deprived communities.

Hospice UK has managed the distribution of over £7.5 million allocated to hospices in the North West of England.

More information can be found here: £75 million boost for hospices to transform end-of-life care – GOV.UK