Hospices to get £60m of funding to improve end of life care

Hospices are to get £60m of Government funding to improve the quality of care for people at the end of their lives.

The funding – which is available to all adult and children’s hospices in England – will help improve care for patients and families by improving the hospice environment, as well as supporting the care hospices provide to people in their own homes.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: “Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow, said: “Our surroundings at the end of our lives play a critical role in our wellbeing.

“This money will help hospices all over the country make improvements such as redesigning rooms or putting in place facilities to help people remain independent.

“We are making this investment because we want hospices to be able to provide dignified, compassionate, high quality care and support to people and their families at what is a difficult time in their lives.” Hospices will be able to apply for funding for a range of projects, including:

Improvements to day-therapy facilities, including providing transport services

Developing or improving out-reach services to support people in their own homes

Refurbishment of inpatient and visitor areas, including improvements to bedrooms and bathrooms and providing overnight facilities for families;

Improvements to mortuary and bereavement facilities

Improvements to gardens and outside spaces so patients can spend time outdoors

The principal requirements are that projects deliver improvements that directly benefit patients, have a tangible impact on the physical environment and provide value for money.

David Praill, chief executive of Help the Hospices, welcomed the announcement and said: “This new grant programme will make a huge difference to the quality of care that hospices provide to people with terminal and life-limiting illnesses at home and in hospices.

“Developing physical hospice environments as well as outreach services to support people at home will mean that that people nearing the end of life can have greater choice over where and how they are cared for, allowing them greater dignity and more independence.”

Details on how and when hospices can apply for the capital grant scheme will be announced shortly.

Image: Paul Burstown - credit Adi Wickramaratne