SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, urges the Welsh Government to do more to help the hospice and palliative care sector.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance, who often expresses his concern over the financial pressures for hospices, was speaking in the Senedd during a Welsh Conservative Debate on Hospices.
He said: “We’ve already heard that hospices are struggling under the weight of rising costs, workforce shortages and increasing demand for their services.
“We’ve heard about the employers’ national insurance increases, rising energy bills and other operating costs that are forcing organisations that primarily exist to care for the vulnerable into financial crisis.
“I’ve heard this first-hand from Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham, who recently celebrated their thirtieth anniversary of excellent work in Wrexham, supporting the town and its surrounding communities.
“Like all Welsh hospices, they are experiencing financial pressures, and now having to budget a deficit for this coming year.
“These pressures are not caused by the sector itself. They are the direct result of decisions being made in this place and by politicians in Westminster.
“Decisions that are being made to increase the cost of employment without providing support to go along with it, and leaving these organisations to bear the brunt of rising demand without that adequate funding.
“Going back to Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham, when they opened 30 years ago, they had running costs of around £1 million a year, of which 80% was statutory funding, and they had to raise an additional 20%.
“Today, that same hospice has running costs of around £5.6 million, and it’s completely flipped. It now raises 80% of its funds, with only 20% coming from statutory sources.
“This shows the shift in that 30-year time between how hospices were funded to how they’re not being funded adequately today.
“And let’s not forget, hospices do more than provide compassionate care. They take pressure off the NHS by supporting patients in their community, in their own homes, and in inpatient units.
“Hospices reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, help patients leave hospital sooner, and allow NHS staff to focus on that all-important acute care.
“The Welsh Conservatives will continue to stand up for hospices, their staff and the families they support.
“We call on the Welsh Government to stop ignoring this crisis, deliver a sustainable funding model, and provide the resources these vital services need to continue their exceptional work.”
Marie Curie Cymru Policy and Public Affairs Manager Dr Tomos Evans, said: “This week’s debate is an important reminder that hospice services are an integral part of our palliative and end of life care system which is under huge pressure.
“Too many people are spending their final days isolated, in pain and struggling to make ends meet.
“In Wales, almost a fifth of hospital beds are occupied by people in their last 12 months of life, and one in 14 emergency department attendances relates to someone at end of life.
“This tells us the system is struggling to support dying people and those close to them.
“More people need to get the right care, in the right place – and we need to reduce avoidable trips to A&E.
“As the UK’s leading end of life charity, we know hospices and hospice care services in the community are key to providing care and support to people at end of life and those close to them.
“Placing hospices on a sustainable financial footing must be part of the solution, alongside clear leadership and action to fully integrate palliative and end of life care across health and social care.
“With demand for palliative and end of life care set to increase in the coming years, we need to see a transformation to our palliative and end of life care system.
“Political parties, the incoming Welsh Government and health leaders must urgently take the action needed to ensure our palliative and end of life care system is fit for purpose.”
