Hospice to cut jobs and bereavement services

A hospice says it has been left with no choice but to make redundancies and changes to its services in light of "unprecedented" financial pressures.

Farleigh Hospice, which operates across mid-Essex, has long provided care and support to adults living with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

But in order to make the charity more sustainable and save money, bosses have had to place 17 jobs at risk of redundancy and reduce its bereavement services.

Michelle Kabia, the hospice's chief executive, said these were "necessary steps" needed "to secure Farleigh's future for years to come".

"We very much regret having to say goodbye to our valued and dedicated colleagues," she added.

"This is a challenging time with difficult decisions that need to be made. But we are confident by doing so we will be more resilient and in a stronger financial position."

In December 2024, the government announced a £100m funding package to help hospices deliver "major upgrades and enhancements to facilities".

It could not be spent on day-to-day running costs, so Farleigh used its share - worth £800,000 - to refurbish its kitchen and café, add new rooms to its inpatient unit and build a new website.

Kabia said the money "did not alleviate financial pressures", which the charity said had been caused by a lack of NHS funding, tax and wage increases, and rising costs.

According to the charity's latest financial statements for the year ending March 2025, it received £8.13m from two government contracts and £283,000 from two government grants.

Its total income was £30.25m, but its total expenditure was £31.18m, marking a £0.9m deficit bigger than the £0.5m deficit recorded in 2023/24.

"Trustees had budgeted for a deficit for the 2024/25 financial year, as there are sufficient reserves to fund deficits in the short-term," the report said.

According to Hospice UK, it's a situation that many hospices currently find themselves in, with six in 10 reportedly planning on making cuts this year.

Other essential services have also already been reduced, with 380 beds out of use in English hospices and 160 permanently closed.

Charlie King, director of external affairs at Hospice UK, said it was "incredibly sad" to see Farleigh Hospice – and others - having to make difficult decisions.

"Hospices make a huge difference and the work of hospices is proven to take pressure off the NHS and save the taxpayer money," he said.

"We are urgently working with government to secure the sustainable funding that hospices need for the future."

The Department of Health and Social Care said it had "made the biggest investment in hospices in a generation".

"Hospices do incredible work to support people and families when they need it most and are facing incredibly tough pressures," a spokesperson said.

"This government made the biggest investment in hospices in a generation - £125 million – to improve hospice facilities, freeing other funding for patient care, and has also committed £80 million 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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