Hospice Funding

Baroness Brinton Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his good wishes and extend my new year wishes to everybody in your Lordships’ House.

To clarify the situation, this is the biggest boost for hospice funding in a generation. It is £100 million in capital, and there is no intention, as the noble Lord asked, to have any less engagement with the third sector—in this case, the hospice sector. The £100 million in capital is for adult and children’s hospices, and £26 million is confirmed for children and young people’s hospices. This has been widely welcomed. The decision in respect of national insurance perhaps would not have had to be made had the financial situation inherited by this Government been somewhat different.

[Baroness Brinton (LD)]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for explaining about the capital grant, but can she get the Government to commit to a long-term revenue funding formula for hospices for those services that are equivalent to those provided in the NHS, so that they are rewarded financially on the same basis as the NHS fairer funding formula?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I understand the point the noble Baroness is making, because planning ahead and certainty are key. I can confirm that my ministerial colleague, Minister Kinnock, will soon meet all major stakeholders to discuss long-term sustainability of funding. We are very aware of the difficulties that have been caused thus far and seeking a way forward.