Committee publication · Correspondence · 6 July 2026
Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of NHS England relating to Treasury Minute response – Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England, 6 July 2026
From: Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry: Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England
Summary
The Public Accounts Committee Chair writes to the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England expressing disappointment with their Treasury Minute response to the Committee's March 2026 report on hospice financial sustainability. The letter identifies four specific areas where the government's response failed to adequately address committee concerns: measuring hospice-delivered palliative care, publishing a costed delivery plan, supporting hospices facing service reductions, and recognizing wider benefits hospices provide to the NHS.
Key findings
- 42% of England's ~500,000 annual deaths occur in hospitals where many patients do not wish to be; hospices prevent approximately 1.5 million hospital bed days and save NHS £800 million annually
- Department rejected recommendation 1b on measuring core palliative care services delivered by hospices, without substantive engagement despite Faster Data Flows potential mentioned in oral evidence
- Department agreed to develop a delivery plan with the Modern Service Framework but refused to commit to publishing a 'fully costed' plan without clear justification
- Department disagreed with recommendation 5b on ICB support plans for hospices facing service reductions, offering only strategic commissioning as long-term solution with no short-term support outlined
- Department rejected recommendation 6 on examining benefits independent hospices provide despite acknowledging their vital role in oral evidence
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Samantha Jones, Sir James Mackey, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, Independent hospices
Notable line
“It is totally unacceptable that 42% of the around 500,000 people who die in England each year die in hospitals, where many do not want or need to be.”
Key Quotes
“I was very disappointed to see how you have engaged with several of our recommendations.”
“Hospices annually support around 20,000 people to die in community settings rather than in hospital, saving the NHS approximately 1.5 million bed days and around £800 million.”
“This seems to me an uncontroversial point, and a key step to achieving effective oversight of the independent hospice sector.”
“The NHS is at risk of losing the huge value it gains from independent hospices, given the sector's ongoing financial challenges, and it is import ant the government fully recognises the benefits the sector provides.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗