22,000 People Will Die Without The Care They Need During MPs’ Summer Recess, Marie Curie Warns
While Parliament is in summer recess, more than 22,000 people in England will die without the care and support they urgently need. End of life charity Marie Curie is urging the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to make fixing end of life care a priority for his government and deliver the funding needed to transform care for people at the end of their lives.
In a letter to the new Prime Minister, Marie Curie will call on the UK Government to establish a three-year, £200 million-a-year Palliative and End of Life Care Transformation Fund to support the delivery of the forthcoming Modern Service Framework (MSF) and the shift from hospital to community care set out in the NHS 10 Year Plan.
Marie Curie stresses that this is not a call for additional long-term funding for the healthcare system, but a targeted, time-limited investment to unlock better value from the £9.5 billion already spent each year on healthcare in the final year of life.
This funding would act as a catalyst for change, supporting service redesign and the scaling of proven care models that improve patient outcomes while reducing avoidable hospital admissions and stays. Currently, 81% of this spending is directed towards hospital care, compared with just 11% for primary and community services. As a result, too many people are unable to spend their final days in the place they would choose.
A dedicated transformation fund would support local health systems to redesign services, scale proven models of care, and accelerate the Government’s ambition to shift care from hospitals into communities.
By investing in effective, cost-efficient approaches, the fund would help reduce avoidable hospital admissions and ensure people receive coordinated, person-centred support closer to home. This upfront investment would help rebalance resources away from crisis-driven care and towards services that prevent avoidable hospital stays, improving experiences and outcomes for patients and families while easing pressure on the NHS.
The economic case is clear:
• The Neighbourhood Health Framework targets a 10% reduction in non-elective admissions and hospital bed days at end of life.
• Achieving this could help save the NHS between £775 million and £790 million annually.
• These savings could be reinvested to improve care and support across the health and care system.
Alongside the transformation fund, Marie Curie is calling for stronger commissioning and accountability arrangements to ensure the Modern Service Framework delivers lasting improvements in care.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said: “While Parliament is away for the summer break, more than 22,000 people in England will die without the care and support they need. Every one of those people is someone’s parent, partner, sibling, friend or neighbour.
“Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spoken about creating a fairer health service that delivers more care closer to home. Fixing end of life care must be part of that vision.
“The Government’s forthcoming Modern Service Framework presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform care for people at the end of life. But that ambition can only become reality if it is backed by investment. A dedicated £200 million-a-year Transformation Fund would help deliver the shift from hospital to community-based care that the Government wants to achieve.”
Marie Curie says existing funding is not being directed where it can have the greatest impact.
Matthew Reed added: “Fixing end of life care means fixing commissioning. Charities should not be left plugging gaps in statutory care provision.
“Nearly one in three people dying without the support they need should be a wake-up call for all of us, and particularly for Government. Prime Minister Burnham has an opportunity to deliver lasting change for patients and families across the country.
“Action is urgent. A Transformation Fund for improving end of life care isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential for the future of our health service.”
