Dorothy House Hospice faces urgent financial crisis

A financial storm is brewing at Dorothy House Hospice Care, threatening to extinguish the lifeline of compassion and dignity, which extends to thousands of patients and families every year.

Dorothy House Hospice Care is facing a critical financial shortfall which, without remedy, threatens the specialist end-of-life care it currently provides to patients and families across its 800 square-mile patch.

Rising costs, national insurance, and minimum wage hikes, alongside stagnant government funding of 20% of total costs, have significantly impacted the hospice's financial sustainability.

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Dorothy House is now appealing to MPs, local influencers, and the community to stand together and highlight the gravity of the situation.

Wayne de Leeuw, chief executive of Dorothy House Hospice Care, said: "We urgently need the support of our community and the government to ensure we continue offering the specialist care and support that our patients and their families deserve.

"No one should face death alone, and yet this financial gap places huge pressure on our workforce to make difficult decisions about who can receive our care at a time when we want everyone to have equal access to our specialist support.

"Last year, Dorothy House cared for more than 3,000 patients and 1,000 loved ones completely free of charge. We have done this in the face of enormous funding adversity because it is the right thing to do, but now, more than ever, we need help to ensure people can die with dignity."

The charity is appealing to anyone who will one day need its services to help protect vital core services now and into the future. Supporters can attend an event, donate to and visit the shops, run their own fundraiser or simply donate via the website.

Over the past three years, the hospice's cost has risen from £46,000/day to £52,000/day (based on 2022 to 2024 figures). With the number of people needing specialist end-of-life care predicted to rise by 25% by 2048, the hospice is in need of urgent financial support.

Dorothy House has longer-term plans to campaign for change to ensure hospices are able to secure fair, long-term funding solutions. However, there is an immediate critical fundraising shortfall which the recent government announcement of a one-off cash injection has not completely addressed.

Dorothy House Hospice Care continues to support more and more patients like Emma Lynham through its core services, on the specialist inpatient unit in Winsley, and through its community palliative care teams visiting people's homes.

"Everyone dies at some point," said Emma, "but that doesn't necessarily make it any less scary. It makes me think if this hadn't been there, how much harder this journey to death would be. I couldn't have done it. My family couldn't have done it without Dorothy House." - The Hospice has aligned its strategic planning with NHS localised community models, bringing care closer to those who need it and has served 5% more patients and 15% more families in just one year. Their digital-first approach has expanded the self-service resources on their website, allowing anyone, anywhere, to access free information and advice.

Throughout 2024, the charity raised over £350,000 in 36 hours, saw its dedication to Firefly Lights grow to £165,000, and even brought a Zipline to Bath City Centre in 2025. Yet, still, its £5.7 million retail income continues to outstrip its £3.8 million funding from the government.

This is why the charity is appealing to anyone who will one day need its services, to donate to its Adversity Appeal, support its upcoming fundraising events, donate to and visit one of its 27 shops, or write to their local MP to secure a national settlement that meets the increasing demands of an ageing population.