Health & Lifestyle, Political | Posted on September 26th, 2025 | return to news

Dorset MP calls for hospice reform

Lib Dem MP Vikki Slade is backing a policy calling for urgent action to fund hospices and end-of-life care.

Following the Liberal Democrat Party Conference held in Bournemouth last weekend, local MP Vikki Slade has announced her support for a new Lib Dem policy aiming to protect hospices and end ‘the postcode lottery’ of care.

Slade, the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, is backing the policy which calls for urgent action to secure sustainable funding for hospices, as well as scrap the government’s National Insurance hike, to ensure everyone in Dorset can access high-quality end-of-life care.

Hospices care for 300,000 people across the UK each year, helping patients die with dignity and easing pressure on the NHS. Yet many are under severe financial strain. In 2024, one in five hospices had to cut services, with only a third of their funding coming from the NHS. According to the Liberal Democrats, the government’s hike in Employer National Insurance contributions has added £34m in costs for hospices, pushing the sector to the brink while demand for hospice care continues to grow.

The new Lib Dem policy, announced at the party’s conference in Bournemouth, includes ring fencing funding for children’s hospices and creating a national strategy to better integrate hospice care with the wider health and social care system.

Slade said: “Hospices are lifelines for families facing the most difficult times. No one should have to worry about whether high-quality care is available because of where they live or because of funding shortfalls. The government’s National Insurance hike on employers has pushed them to the brink. As an MP, I’ve consistently called for increased funding for hospices in Parliament, but the reality is that support isn’t coming.”

Slade has actively campaigned to support hospice care in Dorset, including raising funds for Julia’s House hospice by completing a 26-mile triathlon and hiking across her constituency to raise £100,000, chaired a parliamentary roundtable on palliative care in remote, island, and rural communities, and raised concerns directly with the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock.

She added: “I’ve seen first-hand the extraordinary care hospices provide, from Julia’s House in Dorset to those serving remote and rural communities across the UK. I was proud to take on the Alternative Marathon Challenge to raise funds and to bring their voices directly to Parliament.

“Our target from this challenge is to raise £5,000 and that will pay for just 24 hours’ care for a child at the end of their life. It is shocking that this isn’t fully funded by the NHS, but every penny we raise will help a local family with a critically ill child.

“I am proud to support this new policy and fight for hospices to get the resources they desperately need. This is about compassion, fairness, and dignity. Everyone deserves access to excellent care at the end of life. It’s time for the government to see sense before it’s too late.”