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<p>No specific assessment has been made. The Department has been working with NHS
England and NHS Improvement to monitor the availability and use of hospice capacity
since April.</p><p>We are aware of an overall increase in demand, but it is currently
too early and complex to provide detailed information on how much, if any, is currently
due to delays in diagnosis.</p><p>Since April, the hospice sector has worked hard
to re-design service in response to the pandemic by shutting day services that cannot
run in line with COVID-19 guidance and increasing community services, enabling an
overall increase in available capacity.</p><p>We regularly assess the effect of the
COVID-19 outbreak on the hospice sector, and through NHS England and NHS Improvement
are in regular discussions with stakeholders in the sector about the challenges they
face. We continue to keep the situation under review as further information becomes
available.</p>
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