§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total budget spent on hospices in(a) England and (b) Wales from 1979 to 1997; and what are the projected budgets for England for the next three years. [139603]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 21 November 2000]: Specialist palliative care is provided by voluntary sector providers and by the National Health Service. Information on the total budget spend on hospices in past years is not available.
The National Council for Hospices and Specialist Palliative Care has estimated that in 1999–2000 total spend on hospice provision for adults (both NHS and voluntary hospices) was £249 million. Of this, £99 million was provided by the NHS and £150 million by the voluntary sector. In addition, the NHS spend on specialist palliative care services was a further £31 million.
The NHS Cancer Plan published on 27 September, copies of which have been placed in the Library, recognises the importance of palliative care for all patients that need it. By 2004 the NHS will invest an extra £50 million to end inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to make a realistic contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. This will mean for the first time ever, NHS investment in specialist palliative care services will match that of the voluntary sector.
Matters relating to Wales are for the devolved administration to answer.