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<p>The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by core National Health
Service staff and services. However, we also recognise the vital part that voluntary
sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people at end
of life, and their families. Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations
which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services.</p><p>The amount
of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory
services are available within the integrated care board (ICB) footprint. Charitable
hospices provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services
are legally required to provide, and consequently, the funding arrangements reflect
this.</p><p>However, since 2020, NHS England has provided hospices with over £350
million to secure and increase NHS capacity, and to support hospital discharge, as
part of the COVID-19 response. In addition, since 2021/22, nearly £63 million has
been provided to children’s hospices as part of the Children and Young People’s Hospice
Grant. Furthermore, additional investment in children and young people’s palliative
and end of life care, including hospices, has also been made through the NHS Long
Term Plan’s commitment to match-fund clinical commissioning groups, and subsequently
ICBs, totalling over £23 million.</p><p>As set out in the Health and Care Act 2022,
ICBs are responsible for determining the level of NHS-funded palliative and end of
life care locally, including hospice care, and are responsible for ensuring that the
services they commission meet the needs of their local population.</p>
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