By Steve Smith and Kate Heaps. As leaders of two hospices in South East London, our organisations have spent years championing the idea that care at the end of life should be delivered close to home, in the heart of the community.
Last year in the seven London boroughs that St Christopher’s and Community Hospice cover, we supported more than 7,000 people at the end of life. From inpatient and outpatient and wellbeing services to our community teams – ensuring people receive the right support, at the right time, in the place they most want to be.
That’s why we’re both welcoming the government’s NHS 10-year plan which promises to shift resources “from hospital to community”. This is not only the right direction for the health service, but it’s also work hospices like ours have quietly been doing for decades.
The explicit mention of palliative care involvement in new neighbourhood health teams is a significant step forward as we face this growing demand for high-quality palliative and end of life care with an ageing population and over 7 million people expected to die over the course of the next 10 years.
As this need for accessible, compassionate support increases, we need to change the conversation about dying. It has been hidden away, seen as a medical problem to be fixed, leading to unnecessary suffering and missed opportunities to support people in their final months and days.
We know, from experience, that where you die and the care you receive at the end of life can be shaped by your postcode, your background, or your circumstances. That’s why we are encouraged by the plan’s focus on tackling health inequalities.
Everyone deserves the right to a good death, with dignity and choice, regardless of where they live.
We have seen how public education, workforce development, and open conversations about death can help break down taboos and empower people to plan for the end of life. The commitment to health literacy initiatives is a positive step, but it will require sustained effort and investment. Death literacy is not just about information; it’s about changing attitudes, supporting families, and ensuring that everyone—no matter their background—can make informed choices about their care. Together, we can be bolder and continue to meet this challenge.
The focus on personalised care planning at the end of life, increasing the use of personal health budgets and greater support for carers and community teams also have the potential to enable our hospices to provide responsive and accessible care for all who need it in our communities.
But, of course, these ambitions will only be realised if the right resources are available.
At our hospices, around two-thirds of our funding currently comes from the generosity of the public—charity shops, bake sales, marathons, and donations. While we are deeply grateful for this support, it is not a sustainable foundation for such a vital part of the health and care system.
We want to work closely with the NHS to ensure that investment is made in all community services, including the establishment of more realistic funding mechanisms for palliative care and hospice services, so we can continue to provide essential care long into the future.
We are ready to play our part. At Community Hospice and St Christopher’s, we are committed to working with the government, the NHS, and our local partners, to turn these ambitions into reality.
With the right investment and a shared commitment to compassionate, personalised care, we can ensure that every person in our community receives the support they need at the end of life.
Everyone has the right to a good death. Let’s work together to make that a reality for all.
Kate Heaps is CEO of Community Hospice.
Steve Smith is CEO of St Christopher’s Hospice.
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