§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the money allocated to the NHS Cancer Plan for Specialist Palliative Care has gone to hospices. [76171]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 21 October 2002]: The NHS Cancer Plan, published in September 2000, pledged that the National Health Service contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care, including hospices, would increase by £50 million by 2004.
Progress to date has been slow. We have therefore asked Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, to work with the NHS and the voluntary sector to develop proposals for a new approach to specialist palliative care funding that will ensure delivery of the £50 million increase and develop a mechanism to secure long term investment. Professor Richards has been asked to report to Ministers later this autumn.
To support this initiative, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health announced on 2 October that we are making available an extra £10 million for specialist palliative care services in 2002–03. It will be for local health communities, with their voluntary sector partners, to decide how this funding should be deployed in support of the Cancer Plan objectives.
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§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been received by the Exeter Hospice from the NHS Cancer Plan for Specialist Palliative Care. [76170]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 21 October 2002]: I am advised by the South West Peninsular Strategic Health Authority that Exeter Hospiscare received £579,000 from the National Health Service this year. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent. and is in line with the current NHS funded inflation rate.
§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to respond to the letters of 7 May, 26 June and 2 September concerning hospice funding from the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton. [76172]