Hospice UK welcomes new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Hospice UK welcomes Yvette Cooper on her appointment as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK says: "Congratulations to Yvette Cooper on her appointment as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The Secretary of State already understands the vital role of hospices, and the importance of securing sustainable funding for the sector, given her longstanding support for her local hospice, the Prince of Wales hospice in Pontefract, to be fairly funded by their ICB for the specialist care they provide.

"The dedicated, person-centred care provided by hospices can help alleviate pressure on an already strained NHS and support the new Government's ambition to put caring for people at the heart of all they do. Research shows that specialist palliative care delivered in the community can save the NHS up to £8,000 per person, mostly by preventing or shortening unnecessary hospital admissions. The evidence shows that when it comes to end of life care, what can be best for individuals can also be best for the public purse.

"Hospices are under pressure like never before. Surging costs and insufficient funding have led to many services being cut back – just as demand is rising due to our ageing population. Nearly 60% of hospices in England have made or are considering making cuts to frontline services. This must be addressed as an urgent priority for the new Secretary of State.

"The crisis in hospice care has been well documented over the past few years, with the debate around assisted dying placing a spotlight on the importance of improving palliative and end of life care. We welcomed the Government’s commitment to publish a Modern Service Framework for palliative and end of life care. This must implement our four point plan for fair hospice funding to secure a sustainable future for hospices so they can provide their vital care for all who need it.

"In England last year, hospices provided palliative and end of life care to 270,000 people and supported 77,000 family members, friends and carers when they needed it most. They could be doing so much more if they were properly supported.

"We stand ready to work with Yvette Cooper, the NHS and social care providers to respond to the growing and unmet need for palliative and end of life care."