Hospice UK and Hospices Cymru say that £30 million is needed to secure fair and stable funding for hospice care in Wales.

Hospice UK and Hospices Cymru are calling for urgent action from the Welsh government to secure fair and stable funding for hospice care, warning that essential services will become increasingly difficult to sustain without investment.

Earlier this year, Healthcare Today highlighted that teams are caring for people with increasingly complex needs, while many hospices are struggling with the spiralling costs.

They estimate that an additional £30 million is needed to ensure hospices can continue delivering vital services throughout the remainder of this Senedd term.

The call follows a briefing at the Senedd, where Members heard directly from patients, families and hospice staff about the pressures facing palliative and end-of-life care.

Demand is rising

Across Wales, hospices support more than 20,000 children and adults every year, providing specialist care in people’s homes, communities and inpatient units. But demand for hospice care is rising fast as people live longer with more complex conditions. Many hospices are seeing more urgent referrals and growing pressure on community teams.

Despite the vital role they play, hospices still rely on charitable fundraising for around two-thirds of their income, alongside year-by-year Welsh government grants with no guarantee they will continue.

This lack of stability is placing services under strain and limiting the ability of hospices to plan for the future.

Public concern is growing too. More than 7,000 people across Wales have recently written to their Senedd members calling for stable funding to protect hospice care.

“A recurring funding commitment for the remainder of this Senedd term is essential. Hospice teams are caring for people with increasingly urgent and complex needs, at a time when many services are under real strain from rising costs and demand,” said Liz Booyse, chair of Hospices Cymru and chief executive of City Hospice.

“Securing stable funding will safeguard care today and give hospices, Welsh Government and the NHS the stability needed to plan a sustainable future for palliative and end of life services in Wales,” she added.

Delivered in the community

Most hospice care in Wales is delivered in the community, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions, supporting timely discharges, and reducing demand on GPs, district nursing and social care teams.

Without sustainable investment, hospices warn it will become increasingly challenging to meet the rising needs of their communities and to protect this vital role within the wider health and care system.

These issues will be on the agenda for the Senedd Cross‑Party Group on Palliative and Hospice Care, which is supported by Marie Curie Cymru, Hospices Cymru and Hospice UK.

“The Cross‑Party Group will support Members by providing evidence and insight from the frontline, helping us understand what needs to change to deliver the palliative and end-of-life care system Wales needs,” said Senedd member Sam Rowlands, chair of the Cross-Party Group.

“That includes ensuring everyone in Wales can access the right care, in the right place, at the right time in their last phase of life. Our aim is to keep these issues firmly on the agenda and ensure government action matches the scale of need,” he added.