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For the second year, Oakhaven Hospice has united with 126 other hospices behind the ‘This is Hospice Care’ campaign, to underline the vital importance Gifts in Wills play in providing their specialist care for future generations.

New data from Hospice UK reveals that gifts in wills are the lifeline keeping the nation’s hospices open, funding the equivalent of 400,000 nights of hospice care in the UK every year.

Without this support, 30,000 nights of hospice care every month could disappear - that's 7,500 every week.

The importance of hospice care

The importance of hospice care is undeniable, with UK hospices having supported 310,000 people facing terminal illness last year alone – and demand for palliative care is set to jump by 25% by 2048.

However, these figures tell only part of the story. Data from Hospice UK also reveals that 82% of palliative care now takes place outside the inpatient unit, including in people’s homes and in the community, again showing that hospice care is much more than offering a place for someone where they can spend their final days.

Whilst 54% of people would opt to receive palliative care in the comfort of their own homes, over a quarter (25%) still assumed that hospice care on an inpatient ward would be the only option.

Despite nearly half (45%) of those polled knowing someone who has received hospice care (whether that’s at home, in the community or within a hospice setting), 26% did not know what support is available from hospices to make at home and community care possible.

What’s more, a majority of the public (59%) aren’t aware that hospices provide their services for free - with only a small proportion of the cost of the incredible care they provide funded by government. Locally here in the New Forest, Totton and Waterside, the government covers just 11% of Oakhaven Hospice’s costs.

Increasing demand - and rapidly increasing costs

Last year, 450 beds were out of use in UK hospices and many had to reduce or close some of their community services, primarily due to insufficient funding and financial pressures forcing hospices to scale back services. Many hospices have waiting lists and demand for end of life care is rising, so it’s not a case of lack of demand. Hospices desperately want to reach everyone who needs them, but financial pressure is holding many back. The reality is that UK hospices must raise more than £3.8 million every single day to keep their services going - for Oakhaven the cost is over £24,500 every day.

'This is hospice care'

Through powerful real-life stories, the ‘This is Hospice Care’ campaign shows how hospices help support whole communities through their hardest days, and how people in their community can make giving back part of their legacy. From helping people get their pain under control, to planning birthday parties or delivering grief counselling; hospices create moments and bring comfort when it matters most. These stories highlight how critical gifts in wills are in keeping this vital support available for everyone, now and for generations to come.

Andrew Ryde, Chief Executive at Oakhaven Hospice, said:

“At Oakhaven, we're here for and powered by our community, whether it's a partner learning how to provide care at home, children processing grief, neighbours and friends discovering how to help. Gifts in Wills help to make all of this possible. Last year, gifts in wills covered the equivalent of 3,997 nights of our hospice care - for which we are immensely grateful. Every gift, no matter its size, makes a difference. Just £62 could help fund a bereavement support session for a loved one who is caring for someone with a terminal illness, £220 a home visit to a patient by a specialist palliative community nurse. Your generous legacy gifts ensure that vital support is there, not just for the person who is receiving hospice care, but for everyone around them, now and for generations to come.”

>> Find out more about leaving a gift in your will for Oakhaven Hospice

Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation and Grants at Hospice UK, said:

“Gifts in wills are the lifeline keeping our hospices open. Every single hour, someone receives care that wouldn't exist without the generosity of people who choose to support hospice care in their will. That's the reality we're working with and it's becoming increasingly fragile, as funding pressures threaten hospice services, right when demand is rising. Our ageing population means demand for hospice care will only continue to grow, so it’s vital that we do what we can to secure hospice care now. A gift in your will to a hospice doesn’t require parting with your money today, anyone can leave a legacy. Gifts of any size can make a significant difference - it all helps hospices be there for people who need them.”