Written question WQ96397

Delivering high-quality palliative and end-of-life care is a priority for the Welsh Government and the NHS.

The Welsh Government recognises the important contribution hospices make to palliative and end-of-life care in Wales – we invest more than £16m every year to help ensure anyone requiring palliative and end-of-life care in Wales has equitable access to the best possible care and support.

We are working with hospices, the National Palliative and End-of-Life Care Programme Board and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to address the challenges hospices are facing. This includes developing an assurance and governance specification and hospice commissioning framework for Wales. It is intended that the framework will be implemented from April 2026 and will meet the needs of both adult and children’s hospices and create a more sustainable financial model for hospices in the longer term.

I cannot commit to funding an exact percentage of Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith’s care costs, because the organisations determine the overall level of care they offer, I am committed to working with both organisations to find a sustainable funding settlement through the hospice commissioning guidance.

We value the nursing workforce in Wales and the vital work they do and are committed to providing the NHS with the workforce it needs. We continue to support ways for NHS Wales and hospices to work together to provide services for people in community settings.

The national service specification for palliative and end-of-life care is out for consultation until 25 June.