Arthur Rank Hospice Announces News of ‘devastating’ funding cuts

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity has today (Tuesday 30th September) announced news of cuts that will see a reduction of £829,000 in vital funding.

The Charity has received notice from Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), which runs Addenbrooke’s Hospital, that the funding they provide will cease in just six months’ time, removing choice from patients about the place of their death.

The annual funding, which Addenbrookes has paid to the charity since 2018, enables people in the hospital who are at end of life to move to the hospice to be cared for there rather than in a busy, acute hospital.

As a result, since 2018, thousands of Cambridgeshire patients have been cared for at the Hospice in their last days. Families have been able to stay with their loved ones without the additional concerns of parking fees, and restrictions on visiting hours and numbers. The Hospice’s environment offers privacy, space for meaningful conversations and the opportunity to create lasting memories together.

The service was established to help with the flow of patients through the hospital and free up much-needed bed space. CUH informed the Hospice that it is no longer able to fund the service due to financial constraints and stressed their decision was not a reflection of the quality of care provided by Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, which has been serving the community for over 40 years and is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Sharon Allen, CEO of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, said:

“The removal of this funding has truly devastated us all. Although we sympathise with the financial pressures that CUH and indeed the whole NHS are under, the ending of this service will, without doubt, have huge implications for our local community.”

The planned funding cuts will impact the Inpatient Unit at the Cambridge Hospice, reducing bed capacity from 21 to 12.

“Essentially, this now means that over 200 people a year will no longer have the option of being cared for in the comfort of our Hospice and instead will sadly be dying in a busy hospital without the level of privacy for lasting memories, nor the expertise and outstanding care provided by our experienced, compassionate palliative care nurses,” Sharon Allen continued.

“For us, this is truly heartbreaking.”

Carly Wills, Matron of Clinical Services, said:

“This is devastating for our patients and families. Our Hospice has always given patients and their loved ones the chance to spend precious time together in a peaceful setting, supported by specialist nurses and we only get one chance to get this right. Without this funding, many will lose the comfort and dignity they deserve at the end of life.”

Sharon Allen continued:

“Without question, we know these beds are still very much needed by our community, and removing this choice from them is totally unfair. We do not want to see more people dying in hospital when we have a purpose-built hospice and exceptional, caring and experienced teams.

“We are now in the desperate position where we need to seek alternative funding to keep these vital beds available. We now need to ask our supporters to urgently rally round us and support in any way possible to protect our care, now and in the future.”

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK said:

“To hear of yet another hospice having to reduce services is devastating, especially when we know demand for the dedicated, specialist care provided by hospices is increasing. 16 hospices have already been forced to cut services and make valued staff redundant, and we know 2 in 5 hospices are planning to make cuts this year. Hospice services are shrinking right when they should be expanding to meet rising demand. This cannot continue, we need a long-term solution to hospice funding to ensure dying people get the care they need.”

To give the Charity time to explore new funding opportunities, plan for increased fundraising needs, and bridge the immediate gap in funding, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity has launched their ‘Protect our Care’ campaign. The Charity is asking the Cambridgeshire community to support them in any way they can. This could be a one-off donation, signing up to become a Friend of Arthur Rank Hospice via a regular gift, or considering leaving a gift in their will.

Sharon Allen added:

“Our thanks, as always, go to our outstanding team of staff and volunteers who work so incredibly hard with compassion and commitment. We urge our community to help us continue to be there to make every moment count for the people of Cambridgeshire in their vitally important last days and continue to provide a choice of where to die.”

For more information, visit arhc.org.uk/protectourcare

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See Channel 4’s News from 1 October 2025 here.