Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of potential shortfalls in funding for service delivery by hospice providers.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services that an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in meeting this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance makes clear that ICBs must work to ensure there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which may include hospice services available within the ICB’s catchment area.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between ICB areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative care and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.

We recognise the significant challenges facing the hospice sector, which is why we are providing £125 million in capital funding for adult and children’s hospices, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care and to free up other funding for patient care. We are also providing approximately £80 million in revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them the stability they need to plan ahead.

NHS England continues to work closely with ICBs to support more strategic, data-driven commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, including those delivered by hospices. In February, NHS England wrote to all ICBs requesting an update on the financial stability of hospices in their footprint as a matter of urgency, and the steps being taken to mitigate risks.

We are also considering these as we develop the Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework, which will support strategic commissioning, and help address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability across the sector.