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Hospice Faces 30% Demand Surge, Funding Falls Short
15 Oct
Summary
- Hospice demand expected to rise by 30% in five years.
- Current patient numbers have more than doubled in one year.
- Funding is not increasing at the same rate as demand.
Sobell House hospice anticipates a significant 30% rise in demand for its services within the next five years. This projection comes as the hospice is already supporting over 1,400 patients, more than twice the number from the previous year.
The CEO of Sobell House highlighted that funding is not increasing proportionally to the escalating demand. This disparity necessitates more robust fundraising efforts to ensure continued provision of essential clinical care and support services.
Campaigners are actively advocating for more equitable funding for hospices nationwide. They cite increasing operational costs and a widening funding gap as critical issues requiring urgent attention from health and social care authorities.
The Department of Health and Social Care has stated that it is developing plans to modernize and enhance the palliative and end-of-life care sector. Sobell House, celebrating its 50th anniversary, relies on a combination of NHS funding and charitable donations to operate.
