1,000 signatures reached
To: Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care; Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Mike Nesbitt MLA, Minister of Health for NI
Stop the loss of hospice inpatient beds across the UK
We, the undersigned, are calling for a government review into the widespread and ongoing loss of inpatient hospice beds across the United Kingdom.
Why is this important?
This petition is being brought forward by the Liverpool Hospice Action Group, following the deeply concerning news that Marie Curie has permanently closed all inpatient beds at its Woolton hospice — a vital service relied upon by countless families in Liverpool and the surrounding region.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Across the UK, hospice beds are vanishing quietly, leaving dying people without access to dedicated, specialist care when they need it most. Many hospices are being forced to scale back or shut inpatient units due to inadequate government funding, workforce pressures, and changes in strategy by major providers.
At the same time, millions of pounds continue to be raised annually by the public to support hospice and palliative care. This raises important questions about transparency and accountability: How are major end-of-life charities allocating these funds if front-line services are being reduced or closed?
The issue goes beyond bed numbers. It is about dignity, choice, and fairness at the most vulnerable stage of life. As Parliament continues to debate the Assisted Dying Bill, it is vital that people have genuine choices about where and how they receive care at the end of life — whether that be at home, in a hospice, or elsewhere. If there is a reduced choice of where to receive end of life care for a dignified, pain-free death in a hospice may that lead people to choose a premature end to their lives via assisted dying (if/when available)?
We therefore call on the UK Government and devolved administrations to launch a full review to:
1. Investigate the causes, scale, and consequences of the loss of inpatient hospice beds across the UK
2. Review the use of public and charitable fundraising by major end-of-life care organisations
3. Examine the sustainability of the current hospice funding model, and the responsibility of the state in providing end-of-life care
4. Ensure equitable access to inpatient palliative care services, regardless of postcode or socioeconomic background
5. Safeguard patient choice in end-of-life care — including the right to hospice admission where clinically appropriate
Dying people deserve better than silence and service cuts. We urge the Government to act now, before more lives are affected by this hidden crisis in end-of-life care.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Across the UK, hospice beds are vanishing quietly, leaving dying people without access to dedicated, specialist care when they need it most. Many hospices are being forced to scale back or shut inpatient units due to inadequate government funding, workforce pressures, and changes in strategy by major providers.
At the same time, millions of pounds continue to be raised annually by the public to support hospice and palliative care. This raises important questions about transparency and accountability: How are major end-of-life charities allocating these funds if front-line services are being reduced or closed?
The issue goes beyond bed numbers. It is about dignity, choice, and fairness at the most vulnerable stage of life. As Parliament continues to debate the Assisted Dying Bill, it is vital that people have genuine choices about where and how they receive care at the end of life — whether that be at home, in a hospice, or elsewhere. If there is a reduced choice of where to receive end of life care for a dignified, pain-free death in a hospice may that lead people to choose a premature end to their lives via assisted dying (if/when available)?
We therefore call on the UK Government and devolved administrations to launch a full review to:
1. Investigate the causes, scale, and consequences of the loss of inpatient hospice beds across the UK
2. Review the use of public and charitable fundraising by major end-of-life care organisations
3. Examine the sustainability of the current hospice funding model, and the responsibility of the state in providing end-of-life care
4. Ensure equitable access to inpatient palliative care services, regardless of postcode or socioeconomic background
5. Safeguard patient choice in end-of-life care — including the right to hospice admission where clinically appropriate
Dying people deserve better than silence and service cuts. We urge the Government to act now, before more lives are affected by this hidden crisis in end-of-life care.
