‘Hospice at home’ care expansion

HOSPICE services provided to people in their homes will be expanded throughout Wales as part of improvements to end-of-life care.

The Welsh Government has announced it will be investing £455,000 to expand the scheme, while £910,000 has been earmarked for 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Welsh service providers offer a range of holistic support for patients suffering from an advanced life-threatening illnesses, their families and carers.

They help with symptom management, psychological and spiritual support and give advice on benefits and other social support.

Deputy Minister Vaughan Gething visited Gwynedd and Anglesey Hospice At Home in Bangor, a community-focused charity caring for patients with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

Mr Gething said: “We want to focus on delivering high-quality end-of-life care based on the individual’s needs and not over-medicalising care which can compromise quality of remaining life.

“Wales is the only country in the UK to provide 24/7 advice to professionals caring for individuals at the end of their lives. Our second annual report about palliative care in Wales, published last month, showed excellent feedback from patients and their loved ones about how services are making a difference to people’s quality of life in their final days.”