The bold new branding and ambitious 2024-29 strategy comes at a crucial time for a hospice sector facing significant challenges, with rising demand for palliative care, mounting funding pressures and staff shortages.
Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK, said:
“The UK faces a turning point, with demand for children’s and adult palliative and end of life care set to surge in the coming years. Our ageing population means that many more people are going to die each year – and we’re determined that they and their loved ones get the care they need and deserve.
“Hospice UK’s strategy shows how, with the right support, the hospice sector can step up to this challenge. Coupled with our bold new brand, we’re ready to speak up for the sector and meet the challenges ahead, so hospice care is available for all, for now and forever.”
The launch is supported by actress Dame Siân Phillips, who lends her voice to an introductory animation setting out the organisation’s priorities for the next five years.
Dame Siân explains: “Hospice care eases the physical and emotional pain of death and dying, letting people focus on living, right until the end. Hospice UK promotes and protects hospice care for all, for now, forever.”
Hospice UK’s new strategic priorities focus on improving equity of access and making sure everyone gets the care they need; supporting hospices to deliver individualised quality care; and making sure hospices thrive so that they are well funded, governed and well-staffed long into the future.
The refreshed brand identity embodies Hospice UK’s bold vision for the future of hospice care.
The new brand marque, made up of a circle of Hs, represents the close-knit support provided by the UK’s 200+ hospices, while the vibrant colour palette symbolises the optimism and energy which drives the charity forward.
Craig Mawdsley and Bridget Angear of consultancy Craig+Bridget led the rebrand, commenting: “It has been a privilege to work with Hospice UK on their new brand identity and to help bring their visionary strategy to life. Death and dying can be a tricky subject for many, but we have hopefully helped bring out the positive, determined, confident voice of the hospice sector in this debate and look forward to seeing the hospice movement thrive in the future.”
Hospice UK strategy
Hospice care for all, for now and forever. Our strategy for 2024-2029.
The context
Every year, our hospices care for 300,000 people living with life-limiting conditions or facing the end of their life. They provide bereavement, counselling and practical support to 60,000 of those dear to them.
By 2040, around 130,000 more people will die each year in the UK than today. More children with complex needs are surviving beyond infancy and into young adulthood, and medical and social complexity is increasing with age.
Hospices provide care which is free at the point of use. But, unlike in the NHS, it is not fully state funded. While hospices receive some government funding, more than £1 billion of the £1.6 billion they need each year comes from generous donors.
The cost of providing hospice services is going up, while ever more people need palliative care. The financial situation for hospices is likely to deteriorate even further, and it is local communities who will pick up the cost.
Already, we know that some groups and communities are missing out on hospice care and there is a pressing need to do more to reach them.
A severe national shortfall of staff for adult and especially children’s services also presents additional challenges for many hospices.
By working collaboratively with hospices and other partners, our aim with our five-year strategy is to secure hospice care for all who need it.
Why is demand for hospice care increasing?
More people are dying in the UK. After decades of a stable, slightly declining death rate, demographic trends mean that the annual number of deaths – currently approximately 650,000 – is steadily increasing. It will reach 780,000 in 2040.
Our ageing population means that more and more people are living with complex, long-term conditions such as frailty and dementia, which require specialist management.
- Medical advances mean that more children are being born and living longer with life-limiting conditions.
- There is greater demand for services such as counselling and bereavement care, as the importance of these interventions is increasingly understood.
- There is growth in demand for hospice care services to be delivered in different locations including hospices, homes, hospitals, care homes, and virtually.
- There is pressing need to reach currently underserved communities and people who are missing out.
There is greater demand being created by pressures on other health and care services, which threatens to leave hospices to fill the gaps.
Our priorities
The hospice sector is well placed to help meet the challenging context faced by the UK in the coming years.
Hospice UK is the voice and champion of the sector.
Working in collaboration we have identified three priorities that together will enable hospices to give more people the dignified death they deserve.
Making sure hospices thrive into the future:
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