Community Hospice was proud to go to parliament alongside Hospice UK on Wednesday 15 October 2025 to stand up for hospice and end-of-life care and encourage MPs to back a four-point plan for a funding overhaul. More than 150 MPs met with the team to learn about the vital role of hospice care and the need for fairer funding.
Research from Hospice UK has found that 2 in 5 hospices are planning to make cuts this year and so we created a pop-up ‘hospice at home’ to highlight to MPs the importance of adequate funding.
Alongside Hospice UK, which represents more than 200 hospices nationwide, we created a patient’s living room in parliament, equipped with a bed, bedside table, TV stand and all of the medical paraphernalia which may be required to ensure dignity and comfort for people who are dying at home.
Anushka, whose husband Mike was supported by Community Hospice at home, joined attendees at the event and spoke to dozens of MPs about the importance of the work of hospices not just for patients, but for their families and loved ones too.
Chief Executive Kate Heaps, Director of Partnerships Jon Devlin, Medical Director Dr Lesley Bull, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Sally Boles, Social Worker Jude Emmanuel-Ukato, Occupational Therapist Emma Winthorp, and Head of Communications Molly O’Shea joined Anushka in attending, and encouraged MPs to sign an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, calling for fair hospice funding.
Hospice UK’s new four-point plan for fair funding includes full government funding of specialist palliative care services, proper NHS contracts for hospices, and funding to cover the cost of NHS pay rises for hospice staff. Community Hospice were pleased to highlight that they already have an NHS contract with SE London ICB.
The ‘hospice at home’ pop-up was aimed at highlighting the vital role hospices play in helping people stay at home – where they want to be. Community Hospice care for approximately 650 people at home at any one time.
The funding crisis is happening at a time when demand for hospice care is rising fast as people live for longer with more complex conditions.
The majority of hospice care is funded by charity – from marathon runs to charity shop sales. In England, on average, the NHS only funds around 40% of the care that a hospice provides. For Community Hospice that leaves over £8million each year to raise through charitable funds.
Hospices have a vital role to play in delivering the government’s ambition to move care, closer to home, as outlined in their Ten Year Health Plan.
Chief Executive Kate Heaps says: “Community Hospice are proud to stand alongside Hospice UK and highlight the vital role hospices play in providing end-of-life-care across the country.
“With an ageing population, we need to ensure hospices are funded fairly so that everyone can have access to the high-quality palliative and end of life care they need.”
“We also really believe in a hospice’s ability to deliver that extra special wraparound support for people and their loved ones, and we fundraise to deliver that extra support such as social groups and wellbeing classes as well as to enable innovation and improvement in care.
Anushka Karmalkar says: “I was so proud to go to parliament and tell MPs about my experience of being supported by Community Hospice. Up and down the country, people are receiving the support Mike and our family did, day-in, day-out, and I just don’t know how we would’ve coped to keep him at home without the hospice’s support.
“Everyone was so kind, so understanding and so compassionate and calling the team at the hospice was like a hug over the phone.
“They took the work off me so I got to spend more time with Mike. They recognised changes in Mike and told me to enjoy the moments we had together. It was really hard to hear but so important to know, especially with and for the children.”
Charlie King, Director of External Affairs, Hospice UK says: “Too often, hospice care is thought of as something that only happens on a ward, but in reality, most hospice care takes place in people’s own homes. Our Hospice Care Week pop-up in Parliament helped MPs see the difference that care makes to families like Anushka’s, and why long-term sustainable funding is so urgently needed. With the right support, hospices can be there for everyone who needs them.”
