Welsh Government has announced a £4.3m grant for Welsh hospices, giving them much needed financial certainty for the financial year ahead.
The news has come as the government publishes its Commissioning approach for hospice care in Wales, which Hospices UK and Hospice Cymru contributed to.
Matthew Brindley, Policy and Advocacy Manager for Wales at Hospice UK, said:
"The funding and commissioning approach announced today are a welcome step on the journey towards fully securing the future of the essential palliative and end of life care provided by Welsh hospices.
"In the past year alone we have seen the closure of Shalom House Hospice in Pembrokeshire, and a unit being shut temporarily in Holyhead, while other hospices across Wales have been dangerously near to closing services too.
“This £4.3m grant means Welsh hospices will have some stability for the year ahead - but we have to look further than the next 12 months.
"If we want to safeguard these essential cornerstones of the health and care system for long into the future, we need to ensure the ambitions of the commissioning approach become reality as soon as possible. This means establishing clear actions and timelines for the next two years. It also means Welsh Government must move from interim financial support to providing sustainable funding for hospices through its annual budget.
"As a sector we want to do what is best for adults and children across Wales, by making hospice services available locally for a long time to come."
Liz Booyse, Chair of Hospices Cymru and Chief Executive of City Hospice, said:
"This funding is welcome news for hospices across Wales. Like many in our sector, we have been navigating a challenging financial landscape.
"This stabilisation grant will support City Hospice, as we continue to provide specialist care to patients and families who need us most.
"We also welcome the new commissioning guidance, and Welsh Government’s commitment to establishing a longer term sustainable hospice sector in Wales, working in partnership with hospices, to ensure we can be there for our communities for years to come."
