Groups say millions needed to reflect the costs of matching Scottish NHS pay awards
The Scottish Government must ensure promised funding to address the financial crisis in Scottish hospices reflects the £8.6million cost needed to keep pace with the most recent NHS pay awards, sector leaders warned today.
Scotland’s 14 hospices are struggling to retain staff in the face of soaring NHS pay awards which are not automatically extended to hospice doctors, nurses and support staff.
At the budget approved in February 2025, the Scottish Government committed £5m for hospices, and alignment of pay uplifts to NHS pay awards which is estimated to cost a further £3.6m this year.
In June 2025, the Scottish Government made an NHS pay award of 4.25% for most staff. Hospices face increased pressures if they are to extend this pay award to their doctors, nurses and specialist support staff. Without doing so, they risk a retention crisis.
The call comes on the day the UK Government provided details of a £75m hospice-by-hospice funding package for England.
Jacki Smart, chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group and CEO of Accord Hospice, said: “The Scottish Government must urgently release both the monies earmarked, and commit the funds needed to help hospices keep pace with the latest NHS pay award.
“Our staff are talented and dedicated professionals, and it isn’t right that they are priced out of working in hospices because of NHS pay awards decided by the Scottish Government.
“Hospices are the backbone of specialist palliative care in Scotland, with around 2,000 staff caring for over 23,000 patients and family members each year. No hospice leader wants to face the choice between cutting staff or curtailing pay, but that is the stark reality now.
“Without being able to keep pace with NHS pay, the practical impact is that the crisis in Scottish hospices continues, while patients and staff lose out.
“The public are generous in their support, but the Scottish Government needs to ensure hospices are on a level playing field with the NHS, to retain staff and continue to deliver high quality care and support.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the pressures hospices are facing and we greatly value the essential palliative care services delivered by hard-working staff. That is why we have already committed this year to supporting hospices to provide pay parity with NHS levels.
“It remains the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to commission palliative care services, including independent hospices, to meet the needs of their local communities. As such, we expect Scottish hospices and IJBs to continue to engage on any matters that may impact on the delivery of local palliative care services.”
