Important update on our services

What are we doing about the financial crisis and lack of sustainable funding?

We are doing everything we can within our power to resolve the recurring issue of unsustainable funding for hospices. We have formally raised concerns with the NHS on behalf of our patients and families. We are lobbying MPs and spreading our message far and wide. The NHS will continue to fund 29% of our core services, meaning our fundraising and trading teams are still working around the clock to raise vital charitable income to fund our services.

The Crisis Appeal has resulted in generosity from our community, with £242,010 raised to date. We are incredibly grateful for this support, however, it is sadly not enough.  We encourage the local community to continue their support where they can.

Following a formal consultation, and after careful consideration, we have made the extremely difficult decision to close a number of services that are funded entirely through charitable income. These include Compassionate Neighbours, the Wellbeing Hubs, the Admiral Nurse (Dementia Service), Healthy Memory Café, the Minibus and Transport Service, and our Schools, Colleges and Youth Outreach work.

What this means for service users

Our patients and service users remain our highest priority. For those affected by service closures, teams are working closely with individuals, families, carers and volunteers to ensure people feel supported and are appropriately signposted to alternative sources of help. We will continue to provide care, guidance and reassurance throughout this transition.

Services that remain open

Taking these difficult decisions now, allows us to protect and continue delivering our core services, including our Inpatient Unit, Hospice at Home, Care Home Support, Rehab and Wellbeing, Frailty Service, and Emotional and Psychological Support.

Why did we undertake a consultation?

Garden House Hospice Care is currently facing a significant financial challenge as a result of rising costs and decreasing income.

Sadly, this year there has been a decline in giving across the charity sector, and Garden House Hospice Care has been affected by this too.

At the end of last year, we asked our community to stand with us once more as we faced a significant funding gap this year.  We are deeply grateful for your generosity and the belief you continue to show in us - please do continue to show your support.

We have raised our concerns locally and nationally and asked the NHS, which commissions some of our services to help us to meet the shortfall in our funding. The NHS has confirmed that there will be no reduction in their funding this year, and they will maintain our current funding levels next year, with a potential uplift in line with national guidance - equating to around £45,000 against our £1.1 million shortfall. While we appreciate this minor increase, this still it leaves Garden House Hospice Care with some difficult decisions to take now, to ensure that we will still be here to support our local community this year and in the years to come. At present, NHS funding represents approximately 29% of the Hospice’s total income. During this time, operational costs have increased substantially, including higher staff pay, energy, and insurance costs, alongside growing demand for services.

Incremental cost-saving measures and efficiency improvements have already achieved £1.035 million in savings during 2025/26. However, a further significant £1.1 million in cost reduction is required by March 2027 to secure the organisation’s financial sustainability and ensure continuity of patient care.

Without further action now, the Hospice will not be able to maintain financial viability from April 2026 onwards.

Roles and responsibilities - across all levels - have been reviewed across the organisation in line with our future strategy and priorities for the Hospice. The consultation outcome reflects the required changes needed in response to the skills and experience needed to protect the future of GHHC and our core commissioned services. We have actively been under a recruitment freeze since the start of the financial year to reduce expenditure - with 80% of the reduced workforce falling under back-office functions and management roles.

As a result, the Hospice has made the difficult decision following a formal consultation to close it’s solely charitable funded services including Compassionate Neighbours, the Wellbeing Hubs, the Admiral Nurse (Dementia Service), Healthy Memory Café, the Minibus and Transport Service, and our Schools, Colleges and Youth Outreach work.

What measures have we taken before the consultation?

We have already taken action to reduce what we can control, cutting £1,035,000 in expenditure in 2025 alone. We have actively been under a recruitment freeze since the start of the financial year to reduce expenditure - with 80% of the reduced workforce falling under back-office functions and management roles. We have scaled back bed numbers on our Inpatient Unit from 12 to 8, reduced a third of our community services and delayed essential property repairs and maintenance. We now have a waiting list for inpatient care, of people in urgent need of care who we cannot guarantee to support. 

What won’t change as a result of the consultation?

Services may look different as a result of the consultation, but one thing is for certain - our commitment to quality and compassionate care in the final phase and days of life for our patients, their families and carers remains our biggest priority.

We vow to continue to put our patients first and to support them through any changes to their care. We are and will continue to do everything we can to minimise the impact on them and their loved ones.

Who do I contact if I have a question about services?

We are here to support you through this transition. Please be assured that our core services remain unaffected. If you or your loved one is receiving care and support from Garden House Hospice Care and you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01462 679540 or email enquiries@ghhospicecare.org.uk.

What services do we offer?

Garden House Hospice Care provides free specialist palliative care for patients, families and carers facing life limiting illnesses from across North Hertfordshire, Stevenage and towns and villages in Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, serving a population of over 500,000 people.

Working with our team of highly experienced doctors and nurses, we have specialists in a wide range of roles including physio and occupational therapists, bereavement counselling, spiritual and frailty care, both at the Hospice and for people in the community, including in their own homes and care homes.

Why is demand for our services on the rise?

The ever-growing aging population presents a significant increase in demand for hospice care. People are living for longer with multiple health conditions, where symptoms of frailty are more prevalent.

Our area has a large and growing population of frail and elderly patients. Hospice care delivers the best patient outcomes for this group. Our services enable more people to stay at home at the end of life, aligning care with patient wishes while reducing pressure on NHS hospitals.

Without hospice support, we cannot provide the choice and care that many people and their families would prefer as they reach the end of their lives.

How do we raise our income?

It costs us £8.5 million a year to provide our current range of services. We receive 29% commissioned funding from the NHS - leaving 71% charitable income we must raise each year. That is £16,609.39 every day, £11.53 every minute. We greatly rely on the hard work and dedication of our fundraising and trading teams and the support of the community from local businesses, groups and individuals to help fund our work. We also rely on the support of our fantastic volunteers to help us deliver our services.

For every £1 donated, 89p is spent funding our patient services. This covers salaries, travel costs for our community teams, medical supplies, energy bills, catering costs and raising awareness of our services. 11p is used to raise the next £1.

Is the Crisis Appeal still live?

Yes. We are still accepting charitable donations through our Crisis Appeal to support fill the £750,000 funding gap we face this financial year. Support from our community continues to be essential in sustaining the vital specialist services we provide for our patients, their loved ones and carers.

Donations to the Crisis Appeal can be made here.

What additional income has the government granted hospices?

In 2024/2025, the government invested £100 million in capital funding to support hospice infrastructure. This funding was strictly ringfenced for upgrading facilities and digital systems.

We were grateful to receive our proportion of this grant last year, which allowed us to implement new digital ways of working for our community teams, improving efficiency and freeing up more time to see patients.

In January 2026 it was announced that an additional £25 million of capital funding will be distributed amongst hospices.

However, this funding will not address Garden House Hospice Care’s overall deficit or running costs. While appreciated, it does not cover the shortfall in day-to-day running costs. Long-term sustainable funding must remain a priority for the government.

Why should Garden House Hospice Care’s services be commissioned?

Garden House Hospice Care provides specialist palliative care for patients with any life-limiting condition, supporting them throughout the last phase of life. Our services are designed to keep people living well for as long as possible, whether in their own home in the community, usual place of residence, or in our Inpatient Unit, while respecting and protecting their choice of place of death.

By proactively managing care during this critical phase, we prevent repeated hospital admissions and reduce reliance on emergency services. This not only improves patient outcomes and experience but also relieves pressure on the NHS, enabling GPs, community providers, and acute trusts to focus resources on patients who urgently need them.

Evidence shows that hospice-led care delivers the best patient outcomes, ensuring care is tailored to individual needs, including frailty, and complex symptom management. Compared with prolonged hospital care, hospice services are more cost-effective, providing high-quality care packages at a fraction of the cost while maintaining dignity, choice, and quality of life.

Commissioning Garden House Hospice Care is therefore both compassionate and strategic. It ensures:

• Patients receive high-value, personalised care in the setting of their choice
• The NHS benefits from reduced hospital admissions, shorter stays, and lower acute care costs
• Families and carers are supported, improving overall wellbeing and patient experience.

In short, commissioning our services is an investment in better outcomes for patients, cost efficiency for the NHS, and sustainable, high-quality end-of-life care for the community.

Separation of the Trading company

Times remain challenging for charity retail, with high rents and shifts in shopper and donor behaviours. We’ve also seen a decline in the quality of donations as more people turn to selling items on platforms like Vinted rather than donating.

In April 2025, we took the important step of formally separating our Trading Company from Garden House Hospice Care, giving it the independence to explore new ventures beyond retail. This flexibility allows us to innovate, diversify income, and ultimately raise more money to fund vital patient care.

As part of this journey, we refurbished four of our flagship shops. The updates were essential, addressing urgent health and safety requirements, improving accessibility for all, and creating a welcoming environment that many customers enjoy.

Importantly, these refurbishments were paid for entirely from the Trading Company’s budget - not from charitable donations - ensuring that funds raised for patient care remain protected.

This trading investment strengthens the future of our retail operations so they can continue to generate vital income, safeguarding hospice care for the people who will need us tomorrow.

How can you support the Hospice?

We ask that you continue to stand by us through these difficult days. Your support, whether through donations, volunteering, championing our value with your local MP or writing to commissioners - every act of kindness and solidarity supports our cause and protects patient care.

Here’s how you can help:

• Make a one-off donation - Every penny really does make a difference to the patients we support
• Set up a regular gift - Regular donations help us plan sustainably for the future. In a time where things have never looked more uncertain, knowing charitable income will still be there in weeks, months, even years to come can help us secure the future of our vital services
• Fundraise - Our Fundraising team are here to help. Whether you are a business, individual, community group or school - every penny raised in aid of Garden House Hospice Care makes a difference. Contact fundraising@ghhospicecare.org.uk for more information
• Share our message - stand by our side and speak out by sharing our social media posts, raising the profile of the hospice funding crisis and lobbying your local MP or contacts. Together, we can champion the importance of hospice care for all.

Thank you for standing with us.