Willen Hospice has taken Milton Keynes’ voice to Westminster as part of a national campaign calling for fair and sustainable funding for hospice care across the UK.
The charity joined Hospice UK’s Fair Funding for Hospices launch, which urges the government to reform the way end-of-life care is funded so everyone can access high-quality, compassionate support — regardless of postcode.
Chief Executive Kate Broadhurst met with local MPs Callum Anderson, Emily Darlington and Chris Curtis to share how fairer, more transparent funding could transform services for people in and around Milton Keynes. “We’re proud to stand for our community in Westminster, alongside Hospice UK,” said Kate Broadhurst. “This campaign is about making sure hospices like ours can keep delivering compassionate care without the constant struggle to close funding gaps. Only 12.7% of our costs are covered by ongoing NHS funding — reform would give us the stability to focus fully on patients and families.”
Hospice UK’s four-point plan calls for:
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Full NHS funding for specialist palliative care provided by hospices
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Multi-year NHS contracts reflecting the true cost of services
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Pay parity between hospice and NHS staff
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Fair access to care nationwide
Toby Porter, Chief Executive of Hospice UK, said: “Willen Hospice is a powerful example of why reform is urgently needed. Despite providing exceptional care, it receives barely half the national average in NHS funding. This inequity threatens the sustainability of services that thousands of families depend on.”
Willen Hospice continues to campaign locally for equitable funding through the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB), working with Milton Keynes University Hospital and community nursing partners to secure fairer support in the short term.
The call for reform supports the hospice’s Ready for Tomorrow Today strategy, focused on protecting and expanding palliative care for people across Milton Keynes.
Find out more at www.willen-hospice.org.uk/strategy.
