Hospice Funding

Lord Scriven Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[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.

[Lord Scriven (LD)]

My Lords, I add my tributes to Lady Randerson and wish the Minister a happy new year. As welcome as the £100 million in capital is, it will not pay for staff, drugs, heating, lighting, meals or day-to-day services. What are the Minister and the Government going to do to add extra revenue funding to deal with the costs that the hospices are dealing with now?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As I mentioned, it has been confirmed that there will be funding for children and young people’s hospices for the forthcoming year, which I know had been hoped for but not actually delivered. I am very glad that the Secretary of State was able to confirm that. On long-term sustainability, Minister Kinnock is very much looking forward to meeting major stakeholders and is working with NHS England to find the best funding mechanism, in respect of the £100 million capital grant and more generally.