Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to hospices to facilitate a 3 per cent pay rise for their caring staff in line with NHS staff pay increase.

Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations who remain free to set salary rates along with other terms and conditions at a level that reflects the skills and experience of their staff. However, the Government keeps their funding arrangements under regular review. The Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement 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.