Speaking in the Assembly Chamber yesterday, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood, who Chairs the Assembly Cross Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care, emphasised the important role hospices play in providing end-of-life care in Wales.
In a 90-second Statement, he said:
“This is Hospice Care Week 2017, celebrating both 50 years since Dame Cicely Saunders established the hospice movement in the UK and the many faces of hospice care, raising awareness of everyone involved, from nurses to volunteers, chefs to chaplains, fundraisers to carers.
“Hospices across Wales asked people to show their support by wearing yellow today, and Hospice UK launched the ‘Hospice care in Wales 2017’ report at the Cross Party Group in the Assembly at lunchtime today, quantifying the role of hospices in Wales.
“The majority of end-of-life care in Wales is provided by local hospices, improving the quality of life and well-being of adults and children with a life-limiting or terminal illness, helping them to live as fully as they can for the precious time they have left. Collectively, the 15 charitable hospices in Wales provide vital care to 10,500 people every year, alongside support for many of their loved ones.
“They spend a combined £32.5 million on delivering care, and need to raise £2 million each month to continue doing this. Whilst adult hospices in Wales provide more than 24,000 day beds each year, the majority of their care is delivered in people’s homes, with 93 per cent providing hospice at home, outreach and day services, and 40 per cent of services provided by children’s hospices being outreach services. So, let us ask our hospices how they can help us do more.”