Hospices that care for the sick and dying receive less than a third of their funding from the government, the Liberal Democrats have said.

A study conducted by party spokesman Paul Burstow found that hospices are increasingly being forced to rely on charitable donations and lottery funding to provide care for the terminally ill.

The funding crisis has resulted in a reduction in beds in one in four hospices - with several being forced to close altogether.

Burstow also revealed that there are 600 fewer district nurses than when Labour came to power in 1997.

"The government said clearly in its NHS Cancer Plan that all NHS patients should have access to specialist palliative care advice and services. But it is not putting its money where its mouth is," he said.

"The national lottery - which is meant to fund projects additional to government programmes - is being used to shore up this core service. And the voluntary sector is having to stump up the rest."

The Lib Dems also warned that the NHS will be put under increasing strain unless the government addresses the funding crisis in the hospice sector

"This problem is not going to go away. As hospices close, the waiting lists will only get longer," added Burstow.

"The government cannot look the other way and rely on the lottery and the voluntary sector to run our hospices without support."