Hospice Funding

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes a very interesting point. Of course, the introduction of gift aid supported charitable funding, including to hospices, and I know was very warmly welcomed. These are all important ways of looking at funding and we will consider the best way forward, but I note from discussions with the hospice movement that hospices very much value their autonomy in terms of funding; the more linked it is to government funding, the less autonomy they have. We want dignified and appropriate care for patients and families, and to find the best way to deliver that.

[Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB)]

My Lords, I pay tribute to Lady Randerson, who was a great supporter of hospice and palliative care services in Wales, as well as a dear friend. I declare that I am vice-president of Hospice UK and have been involved in setting up the palliative care commission, which will be chaired by Professor Sir Mike Richards and will start to take evidence this week. Can the Minister inform us of the department’s work to look at different funding formulae, such as the one we developed in Wales, which respects the individual autonomy of the voluntary sector while ensuring that some of the black holes of provision can be filled? Will the Government collaborate with the commission by providing as much evidence as possible so that Professor Sir Mike can come up with some really firm recommendations for the future?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I associate myself with the tributes paid to the great contribution that the late Lady Randerson made to this House. She will be sorely missed. In addition to Minister Kinnock meeting major stakeholders, including Macmillan, Together for Short Lives and a number of other organisations and charities to discuss sustainability of funding, Ministers will continue to have discussions with NHS England, because the other area is about getting the money promptly, which has not happened to date. Again, that has caused huge difficulties. We very much look forward to seeing the commission’s findings and recommendations and will look at how we can work to support it.