Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to provide additional funding for Bolton Hospice; and what steps his Department is taking to support hospice services in (a) Bolton and (b) surrounding areas.

Integrated care boards are responsible for determining the level of National Health Service-funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, locally. They are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.

Currently, nine hospice facilities are supported by funding from NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board: Bury Hospice; Dr Kershaw's Hospice; Bolton Hospice; Springhill Hospice; St Ann's Hospice; Tameside and Glossop Hospice Limited (Willow Wood); Wigan and Leigh Hospice; Francis House Family Trust (Children’s); and Derian House (Children’s, located outside the Greater Manchester area).

Whilst all of these provide inpatient end of life care, several also offer Hospice at Home and other community palliative care services.

The commissioning and funding of these arrangements are a legacy from Clinical Commissioning Groups, however, NHS Greater Manchester, as a statutory organisation, now has the opportunity to review commissioning and funding arrangements to meet the needs of the population, working across our Integrated Care Partnership.