Hospices are currently navigating one of the most difficult funding climates our sector has ever faced. NHS funding only covers around 12% of our income, and like hospices up and down the country, we've had to review how we use every pound you and our community entrust to us.
Having recently been rated Outstanding by the CQC, we wanted to reassure you that our flagship services: Hospice at Home, adult counselling and bereavement support, complementary therapies, children and family support services are continuing. These are the areas that our patients and families are reporting they need most.
To futureproof our Hospice, we will be temporarily pausing Day Hospice services, and will be actively thinking about how to adapt and develop them to be more sustainable. This decision was taken from a desire to protect and strengthen our core services rather than spreading our resources too thinly.
Chief Executive Officer Tracey Sheridan said:
"We are incredibly proud of our teams and the Outstanding care they provide every single day - something that has been recognized by the CQC. That is why this decision is so profoundly difficult.
We know this will be felt deeply by our community, by the patients and families we support, and by our staff who give so much of themselves to this work. The reality is that our costs are increasing at a pace we have never seen before, while the income we rely on is not keeping up.
We ask our community, partners and supporters to stand with us during this time. Every donation, every act of support, and every opportunity to raise awareness will make a real difference in helping us protect the care we provide, both now and in the future.
This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Without making these changes now, we would be putting the future of the Hospice itself at risk."
As our financial position strengthens, we'll continue to review what's right for the people we care for, guided always by what they tell us they need.
What won't change is our commitment to the families across South Warwickshire who rely on us, and our determination to be here for them - today, and for years to come.
Workforce plans have been carefully developed using NHS England tools to ensure that any reductions are managed as sensitively and safely as possible, while continuing to meet regulatory standards and protect core services.
The proposed changes will affect all clinical departments, with implementation expected from October 2026.
The Hospice has emphasised that while some services will reduce in the short to medium term, its commitment to providing compassionate, high-quality care remains unchanged. Work is also underway to review its long-term strategy to ensure the organisation can rebuild and grow when financial pressures ease.
For the communities we serve, this announcement represents a significant and heartfelt loss - while also serving as a call for collective support to help sustain hospice care for the future.
The Hospice is reviewing how a number of clinical services are delivered so we can continue supporting patients and families in our community as well as remaining financially sustainable. The proposed changes affect:
Like many hospices across the UK, The Shakespeare Hospice is experiencing increasing financial pressure. The costs of providing care continue to rise, while statutory funding and fundraising income have not increased at the same pace. The Hospice therefore needs to make difficult choices about how its resources can have the greatest impact and protect services for the long term.
Hospice at Home is central to the Hospice's mission and core service offer, providing specialised care and support to people in their own homes. Protecting this service has been the guiding principle during the review. This does not mean that other services are unimportant; it reflects the need to prioritise limited resources while developing sustainable ways to meet wider needs.
Many of the proposed changes are expected to take effect from October 2026. Some transition activity will begin sooner. Our Occupational Therapy offer will close as at the end of September 2026 and further discussions with other local health service providers will take place before that date regarding provision of Occupational Therapy services for our patients.
For patients and carers using our Day Service Group programmes, there will be a gradual reduction during the summer months with a plan that they will cease completely in October 2026.
The Hospice's focus remains on providing safe, compassionate and person-centred support. Clinical teams are developing future and interim service models and will work with individuals and groups to explain what the changes may mean for them, identify appropriate onward or alternative support where available, and maintain clinical advice, social connection and wellbeing support in sustainable ways.
The Hospice is deeply grateful to everyone who raises funds and supports its work. The current financial pressures are ongoing, and sustainable services require reliable continuing income as well as one-off funding. Fundraising remains essential to the Hospice's overall future and should anyone wish to discuss future opportunities please contact us.
