Chair of the Welsh Parliament Cross Party Group (CPG) on Hospices and Palliative Care, Mark Isherwood MS, has sent a letter to the Welsh Finance Minister calling for her to provide appropriate funding to hospices to enable them to continue delivering their vital services as part of the health and care sector’s emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In recent week, Mr Isherwood has praised hospices for maintaining first-class services amidst the global pandemic, but stressed that the crisis has placed unprecedented pressures on them.
Last week, he raised their plight during the virtual Welsh Parliament plenary meeting and questioned the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans MS over the financial support it will be giving to hospices to help them deal with the pandemic.
Responding, the Minister told Mr Isherwood: “I think that we've provided a settlement that does enable them to continue to do the vital work that they're doing at this moment. I haven't heard that the funding has not been sufficient for that, but certainly if Mark Isherwood has evidence or representations to make on that I'd be happy, of course, to listen to them.”
Following this response, Mr Isherwood has this week sent a letter to the Minister urging her to ensure hospice services are funded appropriately for the duration of Wales’s response to Covid-19 and throughout the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 recovery period.
His letter states:
“In my capacity as Chair of the Cross Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care I wanted to share with you some considerations and concerns that have been raised with the CPG throughout this period and states that hospices services should be funded appropriately to meet these greater needs.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on the essential services delivered by the charitable hospice sector in Wales and their role in supporting the NHS effort. The sector is keen to continue delivering services in partnership with the NHS and to develop coproduction of services with the NHS in order to reduce pressure on acute services and to ensure hospice specialist services reach as many people as possible.
“Ongoing partnership work will require appropriate funding for the duration of Wales’s response to Covid-19 and throughout the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 recovery period. The Welsh Government has been clear that the Covid-19 response should reflect need, including the needs presented by our older population and higher relative deprivation in Wales in comparison with other UK nations.
“Our hospice services should be funded appropriately to meet these greater needs. Hospices in Wales are at the point of reporting to the Welsh Government on their activity and funding for the month of April 2020. The sector is united in its commitment to reporting transparently and in full cooperation with Welsh Government requirements. This should enable settlements for future months that meet population need and enable continuity of both vital hospice and wider end of life care sector services.
“I trust you will take these issues into consideration in your budgeting going forward and look forward to receiving your response accordingly”.