Hospices funding campaigner backed by nearly 200 MPs

A campaigner battling for hospices to receive "fair" funding so people "can die with dignity" has said he had been encouraged by the support of nearly 200 MPs.

Corin Dalby, from Bolton, was joined by politicians including Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne as he handed a letter to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday calling for the government to provide "immediate and sustainable" funding for hospices.

"The beds are there, they just need to be reopened," the entrepreneur said, adding that such a move would "take the strain off the NHS".

The Department of Health said it had made the "biggest investment in hospices in a generation" and would soon set out plans to improve palliative and end-of-life care.

Dalby, chief executive and co-founder of Box Power CIC, said hospices provided "essential, compassionate care to patients and families at the most vulnerable moments in their lives".

He said many were battling rising costs, increasing demand and widening funding gaps.

Dalby said he had seen many hospices with empty bedrooms "simply because funding and staffing pressures mean they cannot safely be operated".

He said hospices "need immediate and sustainable funding".

He told the BBC: "It makes no sense that they're having to fundraise hard just to make up for the part that the government's not funding.

"This needs to end.

"It costs more for people to be in hospital beds, so it's self-funding."

Dalby said he started his campaign after local hospices asked for funding and he noticed although they had "great staff" and did "phenomenal" work, there were empty bedrooms.

"The beds are there - they just need to be reopened, fully funded," he said.

"It will save the NHS money, it takes the strain off the NHS and people can die with dignity."

Byrne said funding of end-of-life care was desperately needed and "should be a priority".

The Labour MP said: "We've seen in the city with the loss of Marie Curie, we're down to one hospice now."

He said that was "nowhere near substantial enough for the city of Liverpool's size".

Byrne added: "We've nearly seen nearly the closure of Zoe's Place Children's Hospice in Liverpool, so there's a huge issue around hospice funding, which the government must address."

Lord Stuart Polak said the hospice movement was "one of the most important in the country" and "shouldn't be reliant upon charitable giving".

He said both his parents died in the Marie Curie Hospice in Liverpool, which closed in 2024 due to a shortage of specialist nursing staff.

"The care was amazing," said Lord Polak.

He said his dad, who had pancreatic cancer, spent two days at the hospice before his death in 2019.

His mum was cared for there for three months in 2023.

Lord Polak said: "We got care and support from people and I just find it so sad that other people are... now not having that opportunity that we had as a family."

He echoed the calls to prioritise hospice funding.

"Surely we can give the dignity to people when they are dying," he added.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Hospices do incredible work to support people and families when they need it most and are facing incredibly tough pressures.

"This government made the biggest investment in hospices in a generation - £125m - to improve hospice facilities, freeing other funding for patient care, and has also committed £80m for children's and young people's hospices over three years.

"We will soon set out our plans to modernise and improve the palliative and end-of-life care sector, as we shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, with hospices playing a central role in delivering care closer to home."

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