Queenscourt Hospice has announced that it will be reducing its in-patient ward from ten to five beds, as it continues to face financial uncertainty.

The news comes just four weeks after the hospice stated that it was being forced to consider reducing the vital services it provides for patients, as it continues to operate with a £2 million deficit.

The hospice has also announced that it is being forced to reduce some of its wider core clinical services including Queenscourt at Home Shifts and Outpatient Therapy Services in addition to Housekeeping and Catering Services.

If no action is taken, Queenscourt warns it could face closure within 18 months, with the loss of all jobs.

Queenscourt, which provides exceptional compassionate care for patients and their families across West Lancashire, Formby and Southport, has been impacted by a number of financial challenges. This now means that Queenscourt’s financial position is untenable.

Last year just 24% of Queenscourt’s funding came from the NHS, with the hospice relying on short-term grants, fundraising and personal donations to meet the remaining cost of its services.

However, the rising costs of salaries, the impact of new tax initiatives such as employee National Insurance, the increase in energy bills and the fact that Government funding has failed to keep up with these rising costs means that Queenscourt is now operating at a £2 million deficit.

Queenscourt continues to hold proactive discussions with the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) of Lancashire and South Cumbria and Cheshire and Merseyside, the organisations which provide Queenscourt with 24% of its annual core costs, with the aim of increasing this contribution to 35-40%.

However, it is looking unlikely that Queenscourt will receive this level of funding until at least 2029 and the hospice simply cannot sustain its current services until that time.

Dr Clare Finnegan, Executive Medical Director, said: “Queenscourt has been operating with an annual deficit of approximately £2 million for the past two years, and we face a similar shortfall for 2026/27.   We have been drawing on our reserves to ensure we can continue to sustain our current services whilst we have been liaising with the Integrated Care Boards to obtain further funding.

“However we have been advised that we will not receive this level of funding until 2029, and if we do not take measures to cut our costs, Queenscourt will be forced to close.”

“This is not an outcome the charity is willing to accept, and we must now take urgent action if Queenscourt is to survive.”

Charlie King, Director of External Affairs at Hospice UK said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone at Queenscourt Hospice, and our thoughts are with the staff affected, as well as the patients and families who rely on their care.

“Sadly, this is not an isolated situation. Hospices across the UK are facing growing financial pressures, with 6 out of 10 hospices either making cuts or planning to. Over 20 other hospices so far have been forced to make heartbreaking decisions like this.

“Hospice UK are calling for urgent action through our four-point plan for fairer funding, so hospices can continue to provide the vital, compassionate care that communities depend on.

“Our plan provides a clear formula for what the NHS should be paying for – protecting specialist clinical services with full statutory funding, and allowing charitable giving to be used to provide enhanced services. We can all agree that pain relief, medications and the salaries of nurses and other healthcare staff shouldn’t have to rely on bake sales, fun runs and the sale of second hand clothes.”

Queenscourt Hospice has been delivering exceptional compassionate care for 35 years. The charity has recently relaunched its Keep Queenscourt in Service campaign to raise vital funds for the hospice.

Dr Finnegan said: “The support we’ve already seen from our community has been incredible, but we urgently need more help.

“We are asking people to support Queenscourt in any way they can — through donations, volunteering, fundraising, or leaving a gift in their Will. Every contribution will help us continue to provide vital end-of-life care and support, and to protect the future of our hospice.”

To help support Queenscourt during this immediate funding crisis, Queenscourt please go to queenscourt.org.uk/KeepQueenscourtInService, or call our Fundraising Team on 01704 517420 to find out the many ways in which you can help.

This includes contacting your local MP on behalf of Queenscourt. For further information, please go to

queenscourt.org.uk/MPcontact

Notes to Editors

Since 1991, Queenscourt Hospice has provided exceptional palliative care for approx. 70,000 patients and their families.

Queenscourt operates an inpatient unit and provides end of life care in the community and at home as well as teaching through its Terence Burgess Education Centre.  The hospice employs teams of doctors, nurses, bereavement support workers, counsellors, fundraisers, retail staff, coordinators, support staff and is also proud of its large network of over 450 volunteers.