Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the challenges facing hospices to (a) recruit and (b) train healthcare staff, in the event that care homes are unable to match the 3 per cent pay rise for NHS staff.

We have made no specific assessment as most hospices are independent, charitable organisations and develop and adopt terms and conditions of employment to recruit the staff they need to deliver services.

The Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement, will continue to engage with the sector to understand the issues they face, including determining any funding arrangements and implications for non-National Health Service organisations providing NHS services as a result of the 3% pay uplift for NHS staff. Health Education England provides comprehensive training for all health and care staff involved in palliative and end of life care through the end of life care for all resources. These are regularly updated and publicised throughout the system including to the hospice community.