§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his estimate is of the number of beds freed within the NHS by the transfer of patients to hospice care in the last 12 months; [41731]
(2) how much of the money at present allocated for the treatment of terminal cancer patient care will be directed to hospices; and if he will make a statement. [41732]
§ Yvette CooperIn the NHS Cancer Plan we pledged that the national health service contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care (including hospices) would increase by £50 million by 2004. This investment is intended to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. The level of funding voluntary hospices receive is a matter for local decision based on a strategic view of local palliative care services. We have required all cancer networks to develop costed strategic investment plans for palliative care, which will inform the wider NHS planning process through Health Improvement Programmes and Service and Financial Frameworks for 2002–3.
534WInformation on the number of beds freed within the NHS by the transfer of patients to hospice care is not available centrally. There are approximately 2,000 hospice beds in the voluntary sector and over 400 beds in the NHS in England. About 120,000 people die annually from cancer in England; approximately 50 per cent. of these die in hospital, 13 per cent. die in hospices and 25 per cent. die in their own homes.