Estimated read time: 5 minutes
*INNOVATION*
Cue the tech covered in stars and fancy words that no one understands!
Hold on…
- Ideas turned to action
- Creative problem solving
- Supporting campaigns
- Leaders open to exploring
- Putting vision into practice
- Improving delivery of services
- Developed care plans
- Superstar care team!
Just a few responses taken from a mini research project at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice to understand what innovation means. Suddenly, it sounds a little more relatable.
Innovation is not just about technology
When we hear the word innovation, it’s easy to think about AI, new tech or fancy building upgrades.
But our research is showing that innovation can be much simpler.
It can be a new fundraising idea. A different way of engaging supporters. A more efficient process. A change in the way a team works. A different approach to solving a longstanding problem.
And crucially, innovation can come from anywhere within an organisation.
The person who understands a process every day may be the person best placed to see how it could work better. The fundraiser who sees an untapped opportunity. The administrator who spots an unnecessary step. The care professional who identifies a different way of meeting a family's needs.
The hospice sector is full of knowledge and ideas.
Unlocking the talent within our hospices
You may have heard of the story about when JFK asked a man what he did at NASA, when the janitor proudly replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”
When the workforce feel purpose and part of the cause, every single role can help reach the bigger goal. Hospices have a unique position here, and with the emerging generation caring for purposeful work now more than ever, we can attract high quality talent and keep the talent fresh in house, if we give them the opportunity to feel supported to share and have their ideas heard.
For the hospice sector to remain active and able to deliver the best care possible for as long as possible, we need to find and nurture the talent within our workforces.
That talent isn't limited to traditional leadership roles.
Our research is showing that innovation can be found at every level.
And there is something exciting about that.
Hospices need to look for more than technical skills and experience. Senior leadership need to consider how to develop and reward curiosity, creativity, problem-solving and a willingness to think differently, all of which are valuable traits that will last the test of time.
In a report shared by Good Innovation, it highlights that those earlier in their career are still building confidence and still earning the right to be heard in rooms that were not designed with them in mind. (Good Innovation, 2026)
For new talent entering the workforce, the opportunity to contribute ideas, develop new skills and have a genuine influence on the organisation they work for can be an important part of choosing a career.
But recruitment is only one side of the equation.
If we attract creative thinkers and then put them into an environment where their ideas have nowhere to go, we risk losing exactly the talent we need. (Good Innovation, 2026) (Van Essen, 2025)
Careers don't always have to move upwards
Career development is often associated with moving up the ladder: taking on more responsibility, managing a team or progressing into a more senior role.
But that isn't what everyone wants.
For some people, a fulfilling career means becoming more expert in their current role. For others, it might mean moving sideways. Trying something different, developing a new skill or getting involved in an area of the hospice they haven't explored before.
Those sideways moves matter. Especially for those unsure of the career they wish to grow into and unaware of the ladder that doesn’t exist yet.
They can give people the opportunity to discover a new or exciting project without leaving the organisation they already care about to turn ideas into action. (Okasha and McLean, 2019)
A member of the fundraising team might become involved in an innovation project. Someone from clinical services might develop an interest in education or research. An administrator might discover a talent for project management or service improvement. What we know from our research is that there is a willingness to learn new skills and curiosity for what goes on around the rest of the hospice through organisation wide updates, shadowing days and hearing the stories of the families we support.
Every role, whether in direct care or otherwise, still focuses back to doing our best work for the sake of the children.
These opportunities combined with innovation can keep work fresh and more importantly, keep hospices here well into the future.
The case for doing things differently
The financial pressures facing hospices make this conversation increasingly urgent.
Hospice UK reported that 57% of hospices ended the last financial year in deficit, with one in five recording a deficit of more than £1 million. It also found that two in five UK hospices were planning to make cuts.
For children's hospices, the picture is just as stark. Together for Short Lives found that children's hospices' average costs increased by 18% in a single year, while three in five children's hospices ended 2025/26 with an operating deficit. For every £1 spent by the NHS and local councils, children's hospices in England are now providing nearly £4 in care and support, with the majority funded through charitable income.
With only ~16% of children’s hospice income being received through public funds, fundraising and income generation will remain fundamental to the hospice movement. Raising a bigger question about sustainability. (Together for Short Lives, 2025)
What else can we do?
This is where innovation has a significant role to play in the survival of the hospice sector.
Practice what you preach!
Hopefully, by now my research so far may have convinced a few of you that taking the leap to invest in innovation doesn’t mean chucking valuable reserves at the latest software and AI, but rather, finding and developing a system that works for your hospice in an environment you want to see thrive! Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, for example, have taken the decision to invest in developing this culture through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) innovation project with the University of Huddersfield.
The project is focused on encouraging staff across the hospice to identify and suggest new ideas that could help us work more effectively. Importantly, it isn't simply about asking people to come up with ideas and hoping that the best ones stick.
The project uses a research-based framework to provide a structured approach to innovation that works for the hospice, with the hospice.
Giving the opportunity to understand not only what ideas people have, but how we can encourage, develop, assess and implement those ideas in a way that creates genuine value.
The ambition is bigger than generating an ideas list.
It is about creating the conditions in which innovation can become part of how the hospice works, so that staff at all levels feel able to identify opportunities, contribute their ideas and play an active role in shaping the future of the hospice. It’s a work in progress, but steps are being taken to address the elephant in the room. We need to think about the future of income generation and the talent that comes with it. (Short and Saunders, 2025)
Even if you’re not recruiting right now, keep in mind, the next innovation that helps secure the future of hospice care may already be inside your hospice.
References:
Good Innovation (2026) Innovation in UK Charities Report. Available at: Innovation in UK Charities Report | Good Innovation
Okasha, R. and McLean, W. (2019) 'P-265: Empowering hospice staff through intrapreneurship', BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 9, pp. A107-A108.
Short, M. and Saunders, A. (2025) 'P-203: Building team culture that fuels fundraising success (without chasing the pounds!)', BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 15, p. A88.
Together for Short Lives (2025) Overstretched and underfunded: The state of children's hospice funding in 2025. Bristol: Together for Short Lives. Available at: Overstretched-and-underfunded-The-state-of-childrens-hospice-funding-in-2025.pdf
Van Essen, H.J. (2025) 'Autonomy with clear boundaries stimulates innovation energy of employees', Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Future of Business, Management and Economics (ICFBME 2025).
Ameenah Begum
Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice