North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has spoken in the Senedd of the challenges facing Welsh Hospices and asked the Welsh Government what action they are taking to address them.
Questioning the First Minister in today’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood referred to the closure of vital services like Shalom House Hospice in Pembrokeshire and St David's four-bed in-patient unit in Holyhead, and asked what is being done to prevent more closures.
Speaking in the Senedd, he said:
“Clearly, Welsh Hospices are key to that provision in home, in the community and in beds, but they tell me, as Chair of the Cross-Party Group on Hospice and Palliative Care, that they need to know what the Welsh Government is doing to put them on a more sustainable footing and prevent the further closure of vital services like Shalom House Hospice in Pembrokeshire and St David's four-bed in-patient unit in Holyhead.
“Hospices Cymru are very grateful for the £3 million in support that this Welsh Government has recently provided, but say this won't put them on a sustainable footing and can't constitute the ‘sustainable funding settlement’ the Welsh Government promised.
“This year, they're grappling with the £1.3 million cost of National Insurance increases, alongside the cost impacts of annual 'Agenda for Change' increases, which will result in an estimated 3.6 per cent rise in staffing costs over 2025-26.
“How, therefore, is the Welsh Government helping to address these challenges, both this financial year and in the Draft Budget for 2026-27, and, in so doing, helping to protect vital palliative and end-of-life care services for thousands of children and adults across Wales?”
In her response, the First Minister said the Welsh Labour Government “has increased investment in hospices” and “strengthened national standards”.
Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Isherwood added:
“On average, nearly 70 per cent of the cost of delivering Hospice services is met through their own fundraising. Collectively, Hospices invest approximately £30 million of charitable money into the Health and Care system in Wales each year.
“However, although the Welsh Government announced £5.5 million for Hospices in April, in addition to the £3m in recurring Hospice funding announced in the 2025 to 2026 budget, the actual money was allocated for the 2024-25 financial year, and Hospices Cymru have called on the Welsh Government to urgently provide £5.9m in-year Hospice funding to begin to cover the additional costs which followed the UK Chancellor’s 2024 Autumn Budget.”
