The pressure on Farleigh Hospice to find an extra £250,000 to stay open has been put to Keir Starmer by Kemi Badenoch in Parliament during Prime Minister's Questions.

The hospice is under financial pressure after changes to national insurance contribution began in April.  

The local NHS funds approximately 44 per cent of the Chelmsford hospice's £21,271 daily running costs. However, it relies on the support of donations to make up the remainder.

The hospice says it needs about £7.7 million every year – a number that is increasing due to the government's national insurance contribution (NIC) changes in April.

The hospice's total bill has gone up by £250,000 a year due to the rate of National Insurance paid by employers increasing from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent, while the earnings threshold will also be lowered from £9,100 a year to £5,000.

The government is defending the changes by arguing it is aiming to raise £25 billion a year by 2029 to fund public services.

But critics say the increased cost pressures may have an adverse effect on business and heap unwanted stresses on services.

Kemi Badenoch, speaking at PMQS, said: "Last week I met staff and patients at Farleigh Hospice. They do fantastic work but they need to find an additional £250,000 to pay the jobs tax.

"How does he suggest Farleigh hospice – a charity that relies on donations – pays for his tax hike?"

The Prime Minister replied: "We have provided £100 million boosting for the sector and children and young persons' hospitals received £26 million funding this year.

"She turns up every week to carp from the sidelines. She moans about what we have to do in the budget to stabilise the economy. But she hasn't got the courage to stand there and say that she'd reverse the NICs decisions that we've taken.

"And I know why. It's because she doesn't want to say she's against the £26 billion investment in our NHS. She doesn't want to say she's against the £1.2 billion more for our police. She doesn't want to say she's against £3.2 billion more for our schools."