Hospices are calling for more dependable funding for the ‘integral’ end-of-life care they provide, after the sector was overlooked during the pandemic.

Hospice UK wants to see a new funding model replace the current approach, in which hospices get around a third of their funding from public bodies and raise the rest themselves.

Hospices received a £27m government bailout during the pandemic as usual fundraising streams like events and charity shops dried up.

In a report published today, the organisation says hospices have often been undervalued and should be treated as equal partners within the health and social care sector, particularly in light of the role they played in the national response to covid-19.

Concerns over end-of-life care have been raised throughout the pandemic, as rising numbers of deaths within the community resulted in many receiving inconsistent or inadequate support.

Whilst the emergency funding package allocated to hospices from the Scottish government during the pandemic was welcomed by the sector and provided short-term stability, the report highlights the need for a more sustainable funding model in the future, as demand for palliative care is set to increase further.

As many as 10,000 more people a year in Scotland are projected to require palliative care by 2040, and the complexity of the care they require is also increasing.

Scotland’s hospices also support prison staff, homelessness and learning disability services, as well as delivering education and training to other health and social care providers, particularly care homes and acute care.

Hospice UK estimates that children’s hospice care generates £6.24 and adult hospice care generates £3.96 in public return for every £1 of public money.

Helen Malo, Policy and Advocacy Manager of Hospice UK and report author, is calling for this to be taken into account in government strategies and funding allocations.

Speaking to healthandcare.scot, Ms Malo says hospices will also be key in empowering and revitalising local communities as part of Scotland’s remobilisation after covid:

“Hospices have strong links within their local community and have an excellent volunteer base. They’ve got a really high profile. All that means is that hospices can be very responsive to community needs and mobilise a community response very quickly.

“They can really empower communities and build resilience so that these can work alongside more formal services”

A total of 14 charitable hospices provide care and support to over 22,000 adults with terminal or life-shortening conditions, and their families and carers across the country each year.

More than 80% of care provided by hospices already takes place within community settings, and the shift towards dying at home is set to increase this further.

Informed by more than 500 members of the public, as well as an online survey and focus groups with hospice and palliative care staff, the report sets out the scale of rapid innovation and adaptation that took place in hospices during the pandemic.

By utilising their volunteer and community networks, hospices were able to increase community care capacity, aided by more virtual support. They also played a key role in clinical leadership in both local and national covid-19 guidelines.

Rhona Baillie, Chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, said:

“Over the years the hospices have developed a resilience based on clinical expertise and business acumen and are a key part of the health and social care system in Scotland, as
trusted leaders in the field of palliative care.

“Throughout covid-19, hospices have demonstrated an appetite to evolve and grow in response to those societal needs.”

 

Read more: Details of National Care Service revealed; End-of-life care plea as home deaths set to rise; Report: Hospices not seen as ‘frontline’ in pandemic

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