Hospices: Government Support (Hansard, 13 July 1990)

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, the Government have the highest regard for the achievements of the hospice movement. We are firmly committed to improving the public funding of voluntary hospices and we are making additional resources available to the health service in 1990/91 for that purpose. The timetable and detailed funding arrangements will vary from country to country.

§ The Earl of Longford
My Lords, I appreciate the concern of the Minister and the Government. What sums of money are being earmarked to hospices in the current year? What are the plans for earmarking subsequent payments?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, this year's allocations are £8 million for England, £2.5 million for Scotland and £:530,000 for Northern Ireland. They are additiolal to the money that is already being paid to hospices by health authorities. The health authorities and boards in England and Northern Ireland have been asked to work towards a position in which their contribution to the revenue costs of agreed services matches that from voluntary giving. No timetable has been specified but we shall continue to review the position in the light of progress reports from authorities. Since 1st April 1990 hospices in Scotland have been eligible for public funding of 50 per cent. of 546 their running costs. Funding arrangements for Wales are under detailed consideration and an announcement is expected shortly.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords, it is good to hear the Minister say that the Government have special regard for hospices. Is she aware that recently I had occasion to visit a hospice run by nuns? They are looking after people who are dying and have no hope in this world. The hospitals had to refuse them care and if it were not for the people who run hospices I do not know what would happen to them. Can the Minister confirm her high regard and recommend that the Government are as generous as possible to such people, who deserve every penny they get?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, the whole House will welcome the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Mellish. I cannot state too often that one has the highest regard for hospices. They specialise in caring for people at the difficult time when they are in the last stages of dying. The Government are committed to the hospices and to increasing their resources. However, it must be said that many hospices pride themselves on their autonomy. Although they want Government funding they also wish to have policy and admissions control for their institutions. That is also most important to them.

§ The Earl of Longford
My Lords, while expressing a moderate degree of satisfaction with the Minister's Answer, is she happy to know that I shall return to the subject in greater detail in the autumn?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, I should expect nothing else from the noble Earl. We shall join in the debate, which will be positive.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, I wish to support the comments which the noble Lord, Lord Mellish, made so well. Admirable work is carried out by the volunteers who have built up the hospice movement, including members of your Lordships' House and their wives. I hope that the Minister will consider that support for the hospices should be given high priority in the social service allocation.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, I am pleased to give the guarantee that it will always be regarded as a high priority area. However, we must never lose the voluntary aspect of the hospice movement because that is its strength.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, I too wish to be associated with the remarks made about the hospice movement. Is it not deeply disturbing that some hospices in the country have not yet received any NHS funding? Can the Minister say how many are in that category? Can she also say what effect the changes in income support will have on the funding of the hospice movement?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, I cannot be specific about particular hospices. However, the funding for hospices from health authorities varies from as much as 80 per cent. to nothing, if the noble Lord is right. I do not know whether particular hospices have applied for money and been refused or whether they wish to have complete financial and operational 547 autonomy. Information is to be gathered about the loss of residential and income support and the whole subject will be kept under review.

§ Lord St. John of Fawsley
My Lords, will my noble friend accept the gratitude of everyone who is interested in the hospice movement for her encouraging words? In view of some of the comments that have been made, can she make it clear that the hospice movement exists not only for people who are doomed to die but for people who are seriously ill but will recover and leave the hospice? Therefore, there is hope in the hospice.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right. The hospice movement concentrates on living rather than on dying. Its work began by making life as comfortable as possible for people who were in the final stages of dying. However, more recently the work is being moved out from the institutions into the community with a tremendous range of support services which allow people to remain longer in their homes. When the time comes at which they need total support, then there is room for them in the hospice.