Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Fiona Bruce

Tuesday 29th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

7. What steps he is taking to support end-of-life care.

[The Minister for Care (Caroline Dinenage)]

We are absolutely committed to supporting end-of-life care, not only through £4.5 billion-worth of investment in primary and community services but through providing an additional £25 million to palliative care and hospices in 2019-20. Today, I am in a position to announce how the geographical spending of that money will be allocated, and I will be putting the regional breakdown in the Libraries of both Houses this afternoon.

[Fiona Bruce]

What are the Government doing to better resource support for children’s palliative care, including addressing the shortage of specialist doctors and hospice nurses needed to care for children with life-limiting conditions?

[Caroline Dinenage]

We care passionately about the way in which children’s palliative care is delivered. That is why we have increased the children’s hospice grant from £12 million this year to £25 million in 2023-24. We have also seen a nearly 50% increase in doctors working in palliative care medicine since 2010, but the interim NHS people plan will set out actions to meet the challenges of workforce supply and demand.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Caroline Dinenage and Fiona Bruce

Tuesday 26th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Dinenage]

The Government take this very seriously. The NHS long-term plan sets out priorities for the NHS, and deaths from respiratory disease is a key indicator and an absolute priority. However, it is only right that people who can afford to pay for their prescriptions, like me—I am an asthma sufferer and I can afford to do it—do so. Local areas have to decide those priorities. At the moment, 90% of prescriptions are free.

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

Can Ministers outline the latest steps to support the children of alcohol-dependent parents? In the forthcoming alcohol strategies, will greater support be promoted for the families of alcoholics, who are often best placed to help to reduce alcohol harm in their loved ones?