ELUNED MORGAN

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on hospice and end-of-life services

HOSPICE and end-of-life services provide essential and compassionate care to around 20,000 people every year in Wales, supporting individuals and their families at some of the most difficult times in their lives.

The hospice movement in Wales is greatly valued and respected, by everyone who uses or supports their services. It provides considerable support to the NHS, ensuring people receive dignified and high-quality care, outside hospital.

But the cost-of-living crisis has meant some of these vital services are really struggling to continue their work.

Around two thirds of the hospice sector relies on charitable donations, but cost increases have been felt by all – impacting the number of services delivered by hospices, with some who even considered ceasing their services entirely.

We are committed to strengthening and improving end-of-life care to ensure everyone who needs hospice support can continue to receive this high-quality and personalised care.

We are allocating a further £4m of government funding this year, which will be shared by the 12 commissioned Welsh hospices, including Wales’ two children’s hospices.

The funding will help hospices and palliative care facilities maintain core services, meet staffing costs and strengthen the bereavement support and the quality of end-of-life care provided to people with lifelimiting and terminal conditions.

More than £770,000 will go to the two children’s hospices – Ty Gobaith and Ty Hafan – which will support children and young people living with a life-limiting condition. The remainder will be shared by commissioned adult hospice services across Wales.

I commend the valuable work that hospice and end-of-life care services do every day to support the NHS and I want to thank them for the significant role they play in providing expert care and comfort for people and families across Wales.