Hospice Care Week 2026

About Hospice Care Week

Hospice Care Week is an annual awareness campaign led by Hospice UK, the national charity representing more than 200 hospices across the UK. Each year, the campaign highlights the vital role hospice care plays in local communities and the challenges facing end-of-life care services. This year's theme, "Don't Leave Hospice Care to Chance", shines a spotlight on the inequalities in access to hospice care and the need for sustainable funding to ensure everyone can receive the care and support they need, wherever they live.

Supporting Hospice UK

Beaumond House Hospice Care is calling for action to ensure people do not have to leave access to vital hospice care to chance, as Hospice Care Week 2026 highlights the unequal access many people face at the end of life.

Hospice care eases the physical and emotional challenges of death and dying, helping people focus on living, right until the end. Yet nearly one in three people do not receive the care they need at the end of life, and where someone lives can affect their chances of getting the support they need.

This Hospice Care Week, running from 5 to 11 October 2026, Beaumond House is joining hospices across the UK to share a simple message: Don't leave hospice care to chance.

On average, government funding covers only around 40% of the cost of care provided by adult hospices, meaning charities like Beaumond House rely heavily on the generosity of local people to continue providing vital services.

Local communities support their hospice in many ways, from taking part in fundraising events and challenges, to volunteering their time, donating goods to charity shops and making financial donations. This generosity helps Beaumond House provide compassionate care and support to patients and families across Newark and Sherwood every day.

However, access to hospice care should not depend on how much a community can raise. Communities do not all have the same ability to fundraise, and levels of government funding vary significantly between hospices. This means where someone lives can impact not only whether hospice care is available, but also the range and scale of support their local hospice can provide.

A broken funding model and rising costs mean hospices are under pressure like never before. Across the sector, many hospices have been forced to consider reducing services despite growing demand for end-of-life care.

At Beaumond House, demand for services continues to rise as more people seek support through serious illness, end-of-life care and bereavement. The hospice provides a range of services for patients and their families, both at Beaumond House and in the community, helping people live as well as possible for as long as possible.

Simon Machin, Director of Income Generation at Beaumond House Hospice Care, said:

"Every day, we see the difference hospice care makes to local people and their loved ones during some of life's most challenging moments. Thanks to the incredible support of our community, we are able to provide compassionate care and support when it is needed most. However, no one should have to rely on chance to access hospice care. Everyone deserves the reassurance that high-quality end-of-life care will be there for them, regardless of where they live. This Hospice Care Week, we are asking people to stand with hospices and help raise awareness of the importance of sustainable funding for hospice care."

Hospice care should not be something people have to be lucky enough to access.

Everyone deserves high-quality, compassionate care at the end of life, whoever they are and wherever they live.

Further information: Hospice Care Week | Hospice UK