Over 100,000 people have spoken. Now both Houses of Parliament want answers on hospice funding
4 min read
Just over a week ago, I had an idea: what if we brought together the hundreds of MPs and Peers who had already supported Every Hospice Matters, and united them behind dedicated parliamentary debates seeking a formal government response and urgent action on sustainable hospice funding?
Nearly 300 parliamentarians had backed our independent campaign over the past two years. I knew the strength of feeling was there. But nothing prepared my wife Tricia and me for the response.
In just six days, 30 MPs and 41 Peers have supported the new parliamentary initiatives, alongside formal Liberal Democrat party-level backing. The speed, warmth and determination of their replies have been extraordinary. Every colleague who has responded to our latest appeal has supported the principle, with many willing to participate in a debate if their diaries permit.
These parliamentarians do not need persuading. They understand the urgency. They want their voices heard.
The Myton Hospices recently reported that, of its 36 inpatient beds, only 25 could be operated. It has also described around 200 people a year dying or becoming too unwell to transfer while waiting for a hospice bed. Closer to home, Bury Hospice has six beds unused.
That is 17 unavailable beds at just two providers. Across the UK’s hundreds of hospices, what is the true number of beds out of use, experienced nurses lost and families unable to access the care they need?
Some patients who cannot access hospice care remain in acute hospitals, where care may be more expensive. But we do not yet have a complete national picture of the avoidable hospital use or costs. That is precisely why Government should establish the facts and act on them.
For people approaching the end of life, every day matters. I believe this has become a national healthcare emergency that warrants national priority.
On 20 October, our petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, was received at Downing Street by Sir Nic Dakin MP, at the Prime Minister’s direct request. Tricia and I remain sincerely grateful to the Prime Minister for enabling that important moment, and for recognising the patients, bereaved families and supporters who stood behind it.
But for people nearing the end of life — and the staff trying to keep services available — time does not stop. The subsequent Budget made no mention of hospices, and our petitioners are still waiting for a formal Government response.
In the Commons, Labour MP Anna Dixon is considering leading an application for a dedicated three-hour Chamber debate. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has offered to be a main co-signatory. In the Lords, former Labour Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett and Lord George Foulkes are taking forward a parallel initiative, with Lord Graham Brady supporting it.
These are proposed parliamentary routes, not debates yet scheduled. Their shared purpose is to seek a formal response to the Every Hospice Matters petition, a plan for sustainable hospice funding and a timetable for action.
The Prime Minister need not wait for either debate. The cross-party response already demonstrates the opportunity for a constructive national approach. I firmly believe that a credible commitment backed by meaningful action could attract broad support in both Houses.
Imagine the headlines a year from now describing not more beds closed and services reduced, but how many beds were saved or reopened; how many nurses were retained or returned; and how many more people received specialist care in their own homes. Imagine the difference for families and the pressure eased on hospitals.
The Prime Minister has an opportunity to change the narrative from decline to recovery. No one expects every problem solved overnight. But patients, families and those delivering hospice care deserve an urgent, credible plan, with measurable outcomes and a clear timetable.
If the debates are secured, MPs and Peers will have the opportunity to put the strength of feeling from their communities directly to Government. Either way, the public and Parliament deserve a formal answer to the people’s petition.
Dear Prime Minister, please make sustainable hospice funding a national priority, because every hospice matters.
Any MP or Peer who would like to add their name in support of the proposed Commons or Lords parliamentary initiatives, or indicate an interest in participating in a debate subject to their diary, is warmly invited to contact me directly at [email protected]. We will coordinate names with the parliamentary teams leading the respective approaches.
Petition: https://change.org/everyhospicematters
