HC Deb 16 January 2002 vol 378 cc394-5W
Nick Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been(a) allocated and (b) spent on palliative care in (i) each of the financial years since 1990 and (ii) future years for which budgets have been set, broken down by regional health authority. [23383]

Yvette Cooper

Between 1990 and 1994 funding was allocated to the health authorities in England specifically to support hospices and similar organisations. Funding allocated between 1990 and 1994 was as follows:

  • 1991–92: £17 million
  • 1992–93: £32 Million
  • 1993–94: £32.3 million
  • 1994–95: £35.7 million.

The breakdown by regional health authority was as follows:

Amount (£000)
Regional health authority 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
Northern 1,124 2,052 2,090 2,308
Yorkshire 2,276 2,409 2,454 2,710
Trent 1,603 3,109 3,167 3,498
East Anglian 672 1,491 1,520 1,679
NW Thames 1,263 2,094 2,135 2,358
NE Thames 1,478 2,332 2,376 2,624
SE Thames 1,395 2,582 2,631 2,906
SW Thames 1,102 2,046 2,086 2,304
Wessex 979 2,157 2,197 2,426
Oxford 774 1,462 1,491 1,646
South Western 1,128 2,493 2,540 2,805
West Midlands 1,798 3,353 3,416 3,772
Mersey 890 1,551 1,582 1,747
North Western 1,478 2,592 2,641 2,917

Since 1994 these resources have been built into general national health service allocations. NHS investment in specialist palliative care during 1999–2000 and 2000–01 was estimated at around £130 million per annum. We plan to invest an additional £50 million per annum by 2003–04. This total amount will match, on a national basis, the investment from the voluntary sector. The additional investment for specialist palliative care will be included in the overall increased investment for implementing the NHS Cancer Plan and will, therefore, be found from within health authority allocations. We will be monitoring the information from financial frameworks and cancer network service delivery plans to ensure that this investment occurs.

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