Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 19
73rd Report - Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England
Published 18 Mar 2026
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Professor Murtagh told us that for a long time it has been known that around one in four adults who need palliative care do not get it, and that recent research suggests that the proportion may now be even higher.36 She went on to describe how a third of people receiving acute care in hospital are in the last year of life, accounting for about 10 million bed days each year. Many patients are not benefitting from acute care and might rather receive palliative care.37 The Department and NHS England recognised that some people are receiving care in more expensive settings than they need to be, particularly in acute hospitals.38
From: Public Accounts Committee, 73rd Report - Financial sustainability of adult hospices in England (HC 1236), 18 March 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 1 June 2026 (deadline 18 May 2026).