Queenscourt Hospice in Southport must secure sustainable funding to survive.
The plea will be made by Councillor Sammon, a councillor for Cambridge Ward in Southport, at the full Sefton Council meeting at Southport Town Hall on Thursday (16th July 2026).
He is asking all councillors to back him in Sefton Council asking the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for a more effective funding settlement for hospices.
It would include Hospice UK’s call for £112.5 million in recurring revenue funding from 2026/27 onwards, proper multi year NHS contracts, funding to cover NHS pay rises for hospice staff and national accountability to ensure fair access to palliative care wherever people live.
Cllr Sammon said: “Hospices provide vital specialist palliative and end-of-life care for patients, families and carers, including many residents across Sefton.
“Hospices across the UK are facing serious financial pressures, with many relying heavily on charitable donations, fundraising, gifts in wills and charity shop income to fund core clinical services.
“Hospice UK has called for a fair funding settlement, including full funding for specialist palliative care provided by hospices, proper multi-year NHS contracts, funding to cover NHS pay rises for hospice staff and national accountability to ensure fair access to palliative care wherever people live.
“Queenscourt Hospice, which supports patients and families across Southport, Formby and West Lancashire, has relaunched its Keep Queenscourt in Service campaign after reporting an annual deficit of around £2 million, stating that only 24% of its funding came from the NHS last year and announcing a reduction in its inpatient beds from ten to five alongside reductions to some wider core clinical services.”
He is asking Sefton Council to back his motion that:
• Nobody should have to face the end of their life without the right care, dignity and support.
• Hospices should not be left in financial uncertainty year after year while providing essential clinical services.
• Local generosity is remarkable, but it cannot be a substitute for sustainable and predictable funding for core hospice services.
• Hospice funding should be fair, consistent and allocated according to local need, with sustainable hospice services helping people receive appropriate care outside hospital and reducing avoidable pressure on acute NHS services.
Cllr Sammon would like the Sefton Council Chief Executive to write to NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board asking it to work urgently with hospices serving Sefton residents, including Queenscourt Hospice, to review current commissioning and funding arrangements and support sustainable local hospice services.
He also wants the council to officially “thank the staff, volunteers, fundraisers, donors and supporters of hospices serving Sefton residents, including Queenscourt Hospice, for their outstanding service to patients and families.”
How to Help
To support Queenscourt Hospice, visit queenscourt.org.uk/donate or call the Fundraising Team on 01704 517420. Further information about supporting hospice funding and advocacy, is available via the Queenscourt website www.queenscourt.org.uk/kqis
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