Today, Parliament voted against progressing The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would have introduced assisted dying for eligible terminally ill adults in England and Wales.
Like all hospices across the UK, Southern Hospice Group remains neutral on assisted dying. Now that the Bill has been rejected, the focus must return to the financial stability of the hospice sector.
Southern Hospice Group advocates that everyone should be able to access high-quality palliative and end-of-life care when they need it.
CEO of Southern Hospice Group Stuart Palma said: “As a hospice provider, our responsibility is to make sure Sussex families have a choice about how and where they access the specialist palliative and end-of-life care when they need it most.
“Nobody should face the end of life without access to the care, support and symptom management they need. Everyone should be able to experience dignity, comfort and appropriate choice at the end of life, regardless of where they live or their circumstances.”
Across England, nearly six in ten hospices have made or are considering cuts to frontline services. Hospice UK has reported that 380 hospice beds are currently out of use, while specialist community visits have fallen by 150,000 in a year. These are not simply financial pressures – they affect people’s ability to access care at one of the most important times in their lives.
Palma added: “The debate on assisted dying has shone a light on the state of palliative and end-of-life care across the country. We see every day the difference that specialist palliative care makes to patients and families. We now need urgent action to create a fair and sustainable funding settlement for our local communities. As a society, we must respond to the rising demand for services, support innovation, and give hospices the certainty they need to provide high-quality care for future generations.”
Palliative care funding must be fixed
Only 14% of Southern Hospice Group’s funding comes from its NHS grant. The majority of funding comes from the generosity of the hospices’ local communities and Palma emphasises that charitable giving alone cannot be the answer to a growing national challenge.
“We need a fair and sustainable long-term funding settlement that reflects the true cost of delivering specialist palliative and end-of-life care, keeps pace with rising demand and gives hospices greater certainty for the future.”
Published: 11 September 2026