Funding "must be accompanied by action to strengthen palliative care system" says Marie Curie Cymru

Marie Curie Cymru Senior Policy Manager, Natasha Davies, said: "The announcement of stabilisation funding for the hospice sector is a welcome recognition of the financial challenges facing hospices while work continues on a national commissioning approach.
"This funding will help to safeguard services that are a vital part of our health and social care system, ensuring that people living with a terminal illness have the right care and support.
"This marks an important step towards a sustainable funding solution for hospices, and a more consistent approach to commissioning vital palliative and end of life care services.
"The published commissioning approach outlines important principles for the commissioning of hospice services and a clear programme of work over the next few years.

"While work on the commissioning approach has been frustratingly slow, we welcome the opportunities we've had to work with the National Palliative and End of Life Care Programme and Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) to date.
"However, significant questions remain about how hospice services will be commissioned and funded in the future. We will continue to work constructively with the National Programme and JCC in coming months to ensure that the national commissioning approach and wider policy addresses these.
"With almost 1 in 3 adults in Wales without the palliative care they need, this is an issue that requires urgency.
"Placing hospice services on a sustainable footing is an important part of the solution. To ensure that everyone has the care they need when they need it, we want to see action to vastly strengthen our wider palliative and end of life care system. We stand ready to work with policy-makers and health leaders to deliver the transformation that is needed."