Hospices in Scotland are calling for additional funding from Holyrood amid concerns the sector is facing an “unprecedented” collective deficit of £16m.
Hospice UK said “spiralling” staff costs due to NHS pay increases plus rising running costs are stretching hospices “to the brink”.
The charity said many are being forced to consider cutting “vital” services and draw on their limited reserves to meet the shortfall.
Representatives across the sector are calling on the Scottish government to provide additional funding in this week’s budget.
The Scottish government said it understands the pressures hospices are currently facing and strives to support them “where possible”.
It is estimated the sector provides care and support to around 21,000 children and adults in Scotland a year.
Hospice UK said that on average, two-thirds of hospice income comes from fundraising. It is feared the cost of living crisis may lead to a significant dip in donations while demand for palliative care is predicted to rise by a fifth by 2040.
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The charity said these funding pressures are compounded by “huge variation” in the levels of local statutory funding hospices receive across the country.
It said this can lead to inequality for patients and families and creates a “postcode lottery” in terms of how palliative care is funded.
Helen Malo, policy and advocacy manager for Scotland at Hospice UK, said: “Hospices need urgent support to ensure they can continue delivering high-quality care for people at the end of life – without worrying about how to pay their hard-working staff a fair wage.
“To expect hospices to match this through further fundraising, at a time when their local communities may be struggling themselves, is increasingly untenable.
“Scottish government must commit additional funding for hospices in its upcoming budget to help address the huge £16m deficit facing the sector and ensure hospice funding is sustainable in the long term, so hospices can continue to support the people who need them most.”
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Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) said the number of youngsters in the country who may die young is “going up”, while the highly specialist care they require “is getting more complex”.
Rami Okasha, chief executive of CHAS, said: “Urgent action is needed in the Scottish government budget to ensure that lack of funding doesn’t stand in the way of seriously ill children and their families getting the level of unwavering care they need and deserve.”
The Scottish government said it would continue to work with chief officers and independent hospices to support longer-term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector.
The spokesperson added: “The financial position across Scottish government is extremely challenging and work is ongoing to identify measures to address the continued challenges in 2023-24 and beyond.”