Hundreds of hospice beds are out of use because of funding pressures, leaders warn

Around 300 hospice inpatient beds in England are currently closed or out of use because of funding and staff shortages, sector leaders have warned.

The charity Hospice UK, which represents the sector, said that the income that hospices receive from the NHS to supplement their charitable income has not kept pace with rising costs. It warned that the government’s decision to increase employers’ national insurance contributions1 would exacerbate pressures and force further cuts …