Facing a national crisis in hospice funding, we confront the reality of recent cuts and add our voice to the national campaign for more sustainable funding for hospices.
Write to your MP: Become part of a national conversation and call for change
One in five hospices are planning to reduce services due to financial constraints owing to: rising costs, reliance on voluntary income, and low government funding. This trend threatens the quality of end-of-life care that so many depend on.
Local funding cuts have worsened an already difficult situation for St Nic’s and demonstrate difficult circumstances nationally.
Urgently, we need a sustainable funding plan nationally for hospice care to prevent future crises and ensure no one faces dying, death, or grief alone.
Keep reading to learn about local cuts affecting St Nicholas Hospice Care and the Thetford community, and how to contact your local MP.
Without warning or consultation, Thetford has been left without stable funding to safeguard the vital services it relies on.
Locally, the loss of an £80k annual grant for palliative care services in Thetford threatens the sustainability and accessibility of hospice care.
While St Nicholas Hospice Care serves both West Suffolk and Thetford, the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (N&W ICB) is responsible for commissioning palliative care services in Thetford, based on Norfolk’s population.
On 27 March 2024—just before the new financial year—the N&W ICB cut funding for Thetford’s main palliative care provider, St Nicholas Hospice Care.
Without warning or consultation, Thetford has been left without stable funding to safeguard the vital services it relies on.
Without stability, a reduction of services is inevitable.
Rising costs and an overdependence on voluntary income are pushing hospices to the brink. We must urgently resolve the national funding crisis to safeguard essential end-of-life care services.
Do you live in Thetford and wish to speak out against the cut?
If you live in Thetford and want to share your views on the provision of end-of-life care in Thetford you can write to: NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DH or email: nwicb.contactus@nhs.net.
In two steps: Write to your MP and support the future of hospice care
Join the national campaign and make your local MP aware about the UK hospice funding crisis.
1. Find your local MP
Use the UK Parliament website to find your local MP and their email address.
St Nicholas Hospice Care supports people in areas represented by these local MPs.
- South Suffolk: James Cartlidge (james.cartlidge.mp@parliament.uk)
- South West Norfolk: Terry Jermy (terry.jermy.mp@parliament.uk)
- West Suffolk: Nick Timothy (nick.timothy.mp@parliament.uk)
- Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket: Peter Prinsley (peter.prinsley.mp@parliament.uk)
2. Copy and paste: Add your words to make it your message
Dear (insert name of your local MP),
I am writing as your constituent and as a supporter of St Nicholas Hospice Care, a charity striving for something better in the provision of high-quality, specialist palliative care, emotional and practical support, so that no-one in the communities of West Suffolk and Thetford must face dying, death and grief alone.
I write to you because I am deeply concerned to learn that, like many hospices across England, the essential services they provide are at risk due to unsustainable funding models for hospices. A worrying reality that this hospice has faced this year.
St Nicholas Hospice Care serves both West Suffolk and Thetford, and the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (N&W ICB) is responsible for commissioning palliative care services in Thetford, based on Norfolk’s population.
On 27 March 2024—just before the new financial year—the N&W ICB cut funding for St Nicholas Hospice Care. They did this without warning or consultation, and as a result Thetford has been left without stable funding to safeguard the vital services it relies on.
This decision is not just shocking—it is morally, economically, and personally wrong, especially towards a community that has shared a 40-year connection with St Nicholas Hospice Care.
While the ICB may see these cuts as necessary in the short term, the long-term impact on our community could be devastating.
A reality without hospices is unthinkable, but the future of St Nicholas Hospice Care is more uncertain than ever. Almost every hospice in the UK is budgeting for a deficit in 2023/24, with Hospice UK estimating a shortfall of £77 million across the sector. St Nicholas Hospice Care is one of those hospices planning for a deficit in funding, which is incredibly frustrating.
A reduction in hospice services would force difficult choices about who receives care, potentially leaving more individuals without the specialised support they need and deserve.
Families may find it difficult to manage a loved one’s pain at home, and patients could be deprived of the emotional support they need in their final days. The ripple effect on an already overburdened NHS would be devastating, denying people the opportunity for a peaceful and dignified death, surrounded by loved ones in the comfort of their chosen environment.
I’m joining Hospice UK’s call on the public to write to you, highlighting the critical financial situation of hospices and urging the Government to do more to protect these vital services.
By investing in hospices now, the Government can ensure that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, has access to compassionate end-of-life care when they need it most.
Many thanks for your support with this important matter,
(Name)
(insert your postcode)
How St Nic's is funded
It costs around £8m to run St Nic’s each year. That’s equivalent to £22,000 per day. Our statutory funding only covers around 20% of our costs.
We’re totally reliant on the goodwill of our community to keep the Hospice running, by generously giving their money or their time as volunteers. We still need to generate a further £17,500 of income per day to be here for the people who need us.
Our patients and their families must feel secure, knowing their needs will be met with dignity and compassion.
A challenging financial climate
We recognise that the financial climate is particularly challenging at this time. Inflation is leading to rising costs, particularly increased staffing and utility bills.
Almost every hospice in the UK is budgeting for a deficit in 2023/24, with Hospice UK estimating a shortfall of £77 million across the sector. St Nic’s is one of those Hospices.
Hospices are an integral part of our health system in delivering essential end-of-life care provision to around 300,000 people a year nationally.
However, according to data from Hospice UK, England’s adult hospices have faced a real-terms cut in their government funding of £47m in the past two years, and UK hospices are on track to spend almost £200m more on delivering their care than they will receive in income.
Hospice Care Week 2024
Led by the national charity Hospice UK, Hospice Care Week is about celebrating the work of hospices all across the UK.
This year, the campaign will highlight the vital role of retail in funding hospice care. But those services shouldn’t have to depend on the generosity of the public.
Find out more