Welsh Conservatives have called for fresh investment in palliative care services to narrow the funding gap between hospices in Wales and those in England.
Welsh Ministers have admitted that services in Wales remain “patchy” after years of underinvestment by successive Labour Assembly Governments.
Successive reports have shown that adult hospices in England receive as much as 25% more of their funding from the NHS and central Government than those in Wales.
Speaking ahead of a Welsh Conservative-led debate in the Assembly, Nick Ramsay AM, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services, said, “Hospices across Wales provide a high standard of care to the terminally ill, despite a decade of under-funding.
“Hospices in England and Scotland receive as much as 40% of their funding from government, while hospices in Wales receive only 15% from the Labour-Plaid Assembly Government, meaning they are increasingly reliant on donations, which is an unpredictable income.
“The care provided by dedicated and expert staff saves the NHS millions every year by preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and gives the terminally ill and their families much needed support in times of distress.
“To be able to invest in more staff, improved facilities and greater accessibility of palliative care services in all parts of Wales we must increase funding.
“Ministers have admitted that services remain ‘patchy’, but have not taken measures to address a decade of underfunding.
“Welsh Conservatives would protect the health budget and invest an additional £8million in improving palliative care services in Wales to help secure the long-term future of our hospices.”
