§ Jeff EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many(a) adult and (b) children's hospices are operating in England; [157731]
1335W(2) how many (a) adult and (b) children's hospices in England receive no financial assistance from the NHS. [157732]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThere are 172 adult in-patient units (2,637 beds)1 and 27 children's units (201) beds in England, the large majority of which are managed by the voluntary sector.
We do not collect information on financial assistance centrally. It is for the national health service locally to make arrangements for financial support to both adult and children's hospices based on the needs of the local population. We are investing an additional £50 million per annum in specialist palliative care for adults with cancer. Hospices are benefiting from this additional money.
1 Source:Hospice Information—January 2004.