Asked by: Lord Carlile of Berriew (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they expect integrated care boards in England to be able to identify how much money they spend on children’s hospices; and, if not, what action they will take.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government does not hold information regarding the amount of money each integrated care board (ICB) spends on children’s hospices. There is currently no plan to take any action to ensure that ICBs can identify how much money they spend specifically on children’s hospices.
At a national level, NHS England supports palliative and end of life care for children and young people through the Children and Young People’s hospice grant. The grant provided approximately £17 million in 2021/22, £21 million in 2022/23 and £25 million in 2023/24 directly to children and young people’s hospices. NHS England has confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices using the same prevalence-based allocation approach as in 2022/23 and 2023/24. NHS England is reprioritising budgets for 2024/25, in light of the revised assessment of financial position and, whilst it is holding funding aside for the children and young people’s hospice sector, it cannot confirm further details, including the distribution mechanism, until 2024/25 financial planning is concluded.
Additionally, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan commitment, NHSE has provided approximately £8.5 million match-funding to participating ICBs and formerly clinical commissioning groups between 2022/23 and 2023/24 that committed to invest in children and young people’s palliative and end of life care, including hospices, giving a total investment of £17 million for that period.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to review the funding model for hospices for (i) children and young people and (ii) adults.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
A review is not currently taking place. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of National Health Service-funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, locally, and they are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population.
While the NHS has always been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of the population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, the Government added palliative care services to the list of services an ICB must commission, to clarify this responsibility.
In June 2023, NHS England confirmed that it would be renewing the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices in England. NHS England will communicate further details regarding the process for the grant allocations later this year.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help financially support children's hospices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of end of life and palliative care services, including for children and young people, to meet the reasonable needs of their local populations. As part of the Health and Care Act 2022, palliative care services were specifically added to the list of services that an ICB must commission. Hospices are largely independent charitable organisations which may receive some funding from ICBs for delivering services in the National Health Service.
In June 2023, NHS England confirmed that it would be renewing the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices in England. NHS England will communicate further details regarding the process for the grant allocations later this year.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support patients receiving end-of-life care.
Answered by Will Quince
As set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, it is the legal duty of integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission palliative and end of life care to meet the needs of their local population. To support commissioners to fulfil this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications for both adults, and children and young people, which provide guidance to ICBs on enabling high-quality commissioning of services that meet both population need and preferences.
In addition, ICBs are supported by Palliative and End of Life Care Strategic Clinical Networks which work to progress and implement sustainable commissioning models for equitable, high-quality services.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to establish a long-term funding model for children’s hospices.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In line with requirements set out in the Health and Care Act 2022, commissioning sustainable palliative and end of life care that meets the needs of the local population, including from children’s hospices when appropriate, is the responsibility of integrated care boards.
To support integrated care boards with this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance which outlines support for commissioning at a system level, as well as service specifications for children and young people’s palliative and end of life care.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that levels of funding for hospices adequately take into account variations in (a) service provision and (b) regional need.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the National Health Service has been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of the population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, the Government added palliative care services to the list of services an integrated care board must commission, to clarify this responsibility.
NHS England has actively increased its support to local commissioners to improve the accessibility, quality and sustainability of palliative and end of life care for all. This has included the publication of statutory guidance and service specifications.
NHS England is investing £25 million in the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant this year, to provide care closer to home for those seriously ill as and when they need it. NHS England has now confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England will confirm the funding mechanism and individual hospice allocations in due course.
The Government, alongside key partners, NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector on an ongoing basis, to understand the issues they face.
Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support the hospice movement.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the National Health Service has been required to commission appropriate palliative and end of life care services to meet the reasonable needs of the population, as part of the Health and Care Act 2022, the Government added palliative care services to the list of services an integrated care board must commission, to clarify this responsibility.
NHS England has actively increased its support to local commissioners to improve the accessibility, quality and sustainability of palliative and end of life care for all. This has included the publication of statutory guidance and service specifications.
NHS England is investing £25 million in the Children and Young People’s Hospice Grant this year, to provide care closer to home for those seriously ill as and when they need it. NHS England has now confirmed that it will be renewing the grant for 2024/25, once again allocating £25 million grant funding for children’s hospices. NHS England will confirm the funding mechanism and individual hospice allocations in due course.
The Government, alongside key partners, NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector on an ongoing basis, to understand the issues they face.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timescale is for making a decision on whether to continue the NHS England Children's Hospice grant after the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative and end of life care is commissioned locally by integrated care boards in response to the needs of their local population.
NHS England and the Government are committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. Internal discussions regarding the future of the Children’s Hospice Grant beyond 2023/24 are ongoing, and NHS England is aiming to communicate details in the coming weeks, as soon as is practically possible.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to continue the NHS England Children's Hospice grant beyond the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative and end of life care is commissioned locally by integrated care boards in response to the needs of their local population.
NHS England and the Government are committed to the long-term sustainability of high-quality palliative and end of life care for all children and young people. Internal discussions regarding the future of the Children’s Hospice Grant beyond 2023/24 are ongoing, and NHS England is aiming to communicate details in the coming weeks, as soon as is practically possible.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which integrated care boards were granted match funding for children and young people’s palliative and end-of-life care from NHS England in the 2022-23 financial year; and how much did each integrated care board receive in that year.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Match funding was provided by NHS England to the following integrated care boards (ICBs) via the Core scheme and the Expression of Interest Scheme. The following table shows the ICBs that received match funding and the value of that funding.
ICB | Total (£) |
NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB | 66,000 |
NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB | 60,000 |
NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB | 68,000 |
NHS Black Country ICB | 100,000 |
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB | 168,000 |
NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West ICB | 272,000 |
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB | 76,000 |
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB | 136,000 |
NHS Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly ICB | 8,000 |
NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB | - |
NHS Derby and Derbyshire ICB | 90,000 |
NHS Devon ICB | 10,000 |
NHS Dorset ICB | 8,000 |
NHS Frimley ICB | 94,000 |
NHS Gloucestershire ICB | 60,000 |
NHS Greater Manchester ICB | 276,000 |
NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB | 75,000 |
NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB | 108,000 |
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB | 80,000 |
NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB | 84,000 |
NHS Kent and Medway ICB | 135,000 |
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB | 264,000 |
NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB | 9,000 |
NHS Lincolnshire ICB | 35,000 |
NHS Mid and South Essex ICB | 103,000 |
NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB | 80,000 |
NHS North Central London ICB | 68,000 |
NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB | 322,000 |
NHS North East London ICB | 339,000 |
NHS North West London ICB | 40,000 |
NHS Northamptonshire ICB | 18,000 |
NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB | 64,000 |
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB | 91,000 |
NHS Somerset ICB | 78,000 |
NHS South East London ICB | 26,000 |
NHS South West London ICB | 115,000 |
NHS South Yorkshire ICB | 166,000 |
NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent ICB | 164,000 |
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB | 192,000 |
NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB | 143,000 |
NHS Sussex ICB | 43,000 |
NHS West Yorkshire ICB | 322,000 |