OVERVIEW
Who we are
The Liverpool Hospice Pressure Group (LHPG) - formally known as The Liverpool Hospice Action Group - was established by people directly affected by the loss of hospice care in our city - patients, families, and supporters who refused to accept that Liverpool should be left behind.
We are dedicated to transparent, fair commissioning of palliative care and to holding the decision-makers accountable for what has happened - and what must happen next.
The Crisis, in Plain Numbers
0
Specialist inpatient hospice beds in South/Central Liverpool
53
Bed shortfall across Cheshire & Merseyside
£1.93
less Per person, per year
Liverpool is major city and has insufficient standalone specialist adult hospice facilities.
Recommended provision stands at 179 beds. The region currently holds around 126 - and falling.
Government hospice funding in Cheshire & Merseyside stands at £5.44 per head, against a national average of £7.35. That gap is worth £6 million a year.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
A decision made without scrutiny.
The closure of the Marie Curie Woolton inpatient unit removed the city's primary specialist hospice. The ICB and Marie Curie apparently made this decision:
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With no service-change assessment
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With no options appraisal
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With no public consultation
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With no Equality Impact Assessment
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With no risk assessment
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With no sustainability report - despite promising one in March 2025
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With no decision log
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With no transparency
WE ARE DEMANDING ANSWERS!
And we will not stop until Liverpool's families have the care they deserve.
What this means today
The real-world impact of losing those beds:
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Palliative patients left in acute wards at the Royal Liverpool Hospital with no suitable discharge options
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Increased bed shortages, delayed admissions, and growing pressure across the NHS
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Higher costs to the public purse through hospital-based end-of-life care
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Families forced to cope at home without adequate specialist support
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Patients dying in hospital when their wish was to die elsewhere - with dignity
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Interim/temporary Maple Suite at Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital.
Updates
NHS England Enforcement Action (December 2025)
NHS England Enforcement Action (December 2025) NHS England has accepted enforcement undertakings from NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board, finding reasonable grounds to suspect the ICB has failed to discharge one or more of its statutory functions properly. We are watching this closely
Community Asset Application
LHPG applied to list the Marie Curie Woolton building as an Asset of Community Value. Liverpool Council officers have provisionally recommended refusal on technical grounds, arguing the primary use is health rather than social. We have engaged a legal team to challenge this decision.
WE NEED YOUR STORIES AND EVIDENCE TO SHOW MARIE CURIE WOOLTON SHOULD BE A COMMUNITY ASSET.
Volunteers, past and present - please share your stories to help our case!
Next update meeting
Date: July 2026
Time: 18:00
Location: TBC - please feel free to email for updates
Please come along and share your views
Our Story
Liverpool has been left with a significant shortage of specialist inpatient hospice beds. Patients had to be transferred out of the area, causing additional distress and reducing accessibility for relatives and friends
The ICB and Marie Curie removed this service:
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With no service-change assessment
-
With no options appraisal
-
With no public consultation
-
With no Equality Impact Assessment
-
With no risk assessment
-
With no sustainability report (despite promising one in March 2025)
-
With no decision log
-
With no transparency
The loss of hospice beds has resulted in:
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palliative patients remaining in acute wards at the Royal Liverpool Hospital due to lack of discharge options
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increased bed shortages, delayed admissions, and operational strain
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higher costs associated with hospital-based end-of-life care
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reduced quality of care for patients and families
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the removal of a core component of Liverpool’s palliative care pathway
Connect with Us
We are here to listen and advocate for every individual in Liverpool. Reach out for inquiries, support, or to join our collective efforts for high-quality palliative care.
Email: liverpoolhpg@gmail.com