LOROS handed a lifeline (for now)

In July 2025 LOROS announced that it was experiencing severe financial challenges due to a sharp rise in running costs, a significant drop in gifts from wills and ever-increasing demand for its services. In addition, the 20% NHS funding it receives is not enough as it has not kept pace with inflation and increased costs.

As a result, they were facing a £2 million shortfall in funding for the year 2025/2026, which forced them to reduce some of their services for patients and families. This has resulted in fewer inpatient beds, reduced to 20 on their inpatient ward, reduced day therapy, cuts to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, chaplaincy and complementary therapies and closure of the Volunteer Home Visiting service.

This is at a time when there are financial deficits across the sector, service cuts and bed closure but growing demand for end-of-life care.

This led to waiting lists for beds for people desperately needing hospice care.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Evington Zuffar Haq heard about the situation and raised this at the Joint City Council/NHS Health Scrutiny Meeting in January 2026, asking challenging questions as to why they were not funding LOROS appropriately in comparison to other hospices they deal with in Northampton. He also spoke directly to the Chief Medical Officer, lobbying him to ask him to make sure something was done to allow LOROS to open more beds to relieve NHS beds blocked by patients requiring end of life care and support. Councillor Haq also made public appeals on various social media channels.

As a result of his interventions, support from MP Alberto Costa (South Leicestershire) and LOROS appeals, new funding has been agreed to secure six permanent beds, which will make a “huge” difference to the people it serves. In November, government funding along with the support of community donations enabled four beds to reopen on a temporary basis. Now, these beds plus two more have been confirmed as permanent, after the hospice was awarded a £1.2m funding increase.

Cllr Haq will continue his campaign to help LOROS secure the final seven beds needed to bring their total back to 31.

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