Hospice boss calls for government funding changes

The head of Julia's House has blamed increased costs and a lack of donations for some hospices struggling

The head of a hospice has said the government is "like a deer caught in the headlights" when it comes to funding for end of life care.

Julia's House chief executive Martin Edwards made the comments after hospice funding was debated by MPs on Monday.

He blamed rising costs and a reduction in donations for the £1m deficit that his Wiltshire and Dorset based service is facing this year.

The government said it wanted everyone to have access to "high-quality, personalised palliative care".

Mr Edwards met with officials from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Treasury ahead of the debate.

He said they could not make any decisions and, after listening to the debate, he did not believe there would be any change.

"These services are keeping patients well, they're keeping parents well, they're looking after young siblings who become young carers and yet they only get 8% funding from government, that cannot be right," Mr Edwards said.

"The reality is that we are relying on the public to buy second hand goods in our shops or to jump out of aeroplanes or to remember us in their wills and that is incredibly generous but fundraising has become harder and harder in the current climate.

"We can't afford to let these services be subject to all the fluctuations in the economy that affects the amount that people can give at the end of each month."

A government spokesperson said: "While the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided via GPs, hospitals, and community health services, we recognise the incredibly valuable role the charity sector plays in providing hospice care and supporting loved ones.

“The government has provided £60m in additional funding, including to some hospices, to deliver one-off payments to over 27,000 eligible staff employed by non-NHS organisations.”