Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 280
Commit to an uplift of funding to guarantee support for hospices requiring financial assistance.
Recommendation
We understand that the flexible nature of the current funding model for hospices is valued by some hospice leaders, and rather than suggesting that the Government funds 100% of hospice operations, we call on the Government to commit to an uplift of funding to guarantee that support will be provided to any hospices which require funding assistance.
Government Response Summary
The government explains the current funding model for hospices and does not commit to a general uplift for all hospices requiring assistance. However, it details significant increases and renewals of funding specifically for children's hospices, including £25 million allocated for 2023/24 and renewed for 2024/25.
Paragraph Reference:
280
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory services are available within the ICB footprint. Charitable hospices are autonomous organisations that provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services are legally required to provide. Consequently, the funding arrangements reflect this. Due to the way the hospice movement organically grew, hospice locations were largely not planned with geographic or demographic purposes as a driving force. Therefore, there are disparities with access to hospice services, especially for those living in rural or socio-economically deprived areas. However, the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, commissioned to meet the needs of their local population. At a national level, as part of the NHS COVID response, c. £356 million was provided to hospices to secure and increase additional NHS capacity, enable hospital discharge and ensure they can continue delivering quality care to those who need it. In addition, from December 2021 to March 2022, NHS England made grant funding available to purchase the establishment of 24/7 and Single Point of Contact specialist palliative care support and advice services. This was done at pace with 73 successful bids and totalling over £4 million of funding. At a national level, NHS England has supported palliative and end-of-life care for children and young people through the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant, providing approximately £15 million in 2020/21, £17 million in 2021/22, £21 million in 2022/23, and rising to £25 million in 2023/24. Furthermore, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, up to £2 million in 2020/21, up to £3 million in 2021/22 and up to £5 million in 2022/23 of matched funding has been made available to commissioners who increase their overall level of investment in local children’s palliative and end of life care services, rising to up to £7 million in 2023/24. Last year, NHS England confirmed that it will be renewing the funding for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million funding for children’s hospices using the same prevalence-based allocation approach as in 2022/23 and 2023/24. This prevalence- based approach ensures funding matches local need. Funding will be distributed via ICBs in line with NHS devolution.