Palliative Care Strategy
1/213. If he will publish a national strategy for palliative care.
I am delighted to have announced in a written ministerial statement yesterday that the Government are developing a palliative care and end-of-life care modern service framework for England. The modern service framework will be aligned with the 10-year health plan, prioritising shifting care out of hospitals and into the community to ensure personalised, compassionate support for individuals and their families.
There has been cross-party and cross-charity campaigning for this strategy, so I welcome the fact that the Minister has announced it. However, hospices across the country and especially in my constituency are telling me that their biggest problem is the national insurance rise. For example, a children’s hospice that covers my constituency tells me that the £90,000 extra it has to pay in national insurance could have funded three nurses. What discussions has the Minister had with the Chancellor ahead of tomorrow’s Budget to ensure that hospices, and indeed other health and social care organisations, are exempt from any national insurance rises, either in the past or in the future?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I notice he did not welcome the fact that we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost and £80 million in revenue funding for children’s hospices over three years. We also notice that Conservative Members do like to welcome the additional investment generated from the last Budget, but they do not seem to welcome the means by which it was generated, so I would say to them: what would they cut or what taxes would they put up to pay for what we are doing to get our NHS back on its feet and fit for the future?
I welcome the Government’s commitment to a strategy for palliative care, which is as overdue as it is important, but it will mean nothing for hospices that are not able to last out until it comes into effect. Garden House hospice in my constituency is facing a crucial funding shortfall, and although the capital funding from the Government that came through earlier this year is incredibly welcome, it is still just short of filling the cash-flow gap it needs to fill to secure its operations. Would the Minister meet me to see what further work the integrated care board may be able to do to protect this vital hospice serving my constituents?
I am very pleased that the measures we have taken have provided financial support. I absolutely recognise the challenging financial position, and I would of course be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that further.