Marie Curie urges Andy Burnham to fund end of life care, as research reveals 22,000 will die without adequate support this summer

By KRISTINA WEMYSS, GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:01, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 00:01, 16 July 2026 Andy Burnham has today been urged to fund end of life care, as research reveals 22,000 people will die without adequate support this summer. Marie Curie has written a letter to the prime minister in waiting, calling on him to channel an extra £200million a year into palliative services. This, the charity says, would act as a ‘catalyst for change’ by reducing hospital admissions. In turn, this could save the NHS an estimated £775million to £790million. Currently, £9.5billion of funding is given to end of life care every year. And 81 per cent of this is directed towards hospitals, rather than services in the community. As a result, Marie Curie says, many people are left with no choice over where they spend their final days. It comes as research from the charity has revealed that more than 22,000 will die without the care they need in England while Parliament is in recess this summer. Marie Curie chief executive Matthew Reed said: ‘Every one of those people is someone's parent, partner, sibling, friend or neighbour. Research from Marie Curie has revealed that more than 22,000 will die without the care they need in England while Parliament is in recess this summer ‘Andy Burnham has spoken about creating a fairer health service that delivers more care closer to home. Fixing end of life care must be part of that. ‘Charities should not be left plugging gaps in statutory care provision. He added: ‘Nearly one in three people dying without the support they need should be a wake-up call. Action is urgent.’ The NHS 10 Year Plan has already set out the need to shift away from hospital care and improve services in the community. And a dedicated ‘transformation fund’ - £200million a year for the next three years - could help accelerate this process. Marie Curie says the additional funding would ‘improve experiences for patients and families while easing pressure on the health service’.