Voluntary hospices provide a vital service in Wales

The Welsh Consumer Council report warns that the voluntary sector must be given more money to meet increasing demand.

The report claims the sector is under-funded in Wales.

Welsh Health Minister Brian Gibbons said he was considering whether to update the government's strategy on independent hospices.

The report by consumer body Welsh Consumer Council found that independent hospices make up 27% of the total number of palliative care providers in Wales.

This figure is lower than the 41% found in England and a UK average of 38%.

Voluntary hospices in Wales are struggling to make enough money to keep their services going Andrew Richards, Hospice of the Valleys

According to the report, the NHS in England contributes 32% of the running costs of independent adult hospices, while the equivalent contribution from the NHS in Wales is just 21%.

Thirty eight year-old Claire Francis was diagnosed with a rare cancer a day after her five-year-old son, Matthew, was born and said staff at the Tredegar-based Hospice of the Valleys helped her and her family while she underwent treatment.

"They called on me every day then," said Mrs Francis.

"They supported me emotionally. They supported my family to ensure that I was looked after properly."

Andrew Richards, Chief Executive of the Hospice of the Valleys said: "I think the key message the assembly could take from the report is the one about funding.

"All the hospices - voluntary hospices in Wales - are struggling to make enough money to keep their services going."

'Saving money'

Fundraisers have to come up with �15,000 a week to keep providing nurses for 400 Hospice of the Valleys patients.

According to the Welsh Consumer Council, a higher level of governmental support for independent hospices is justified as it claims non-NHS hospices result in considerable savings for the NHS.

Claire Francis was diagnosed with a rare cancer

Lindsey Kearton from the Welsh Consumer Council said: "The fact that they can focus on home care does actually save the need for hospital admissions, hence saving the NHS considerable sums of money.

"To provide 14 days of home care at the end of somebody's life is actually a lot more cost effective, so to speak, than 14 days in hospital."

In 2003, Dr Gibbons' predecessor Jane Hutt announced an additional �10m of match funding over three years to voluntary hospices as part of the assembly government's palliative care strategy.

The assembly government also provided �1m towards the new Ty George Thomas Hospice which was opened by the Prince of Wales in Cardiff on Thursday.

Dr Gibbons said he was currently considering whether to update the assembly government's strategy.

He added: "Because this debate has happened there may be a case that the level of engagement between the key partners isn't as good as it should be.

"In other words that some hospices aren't working as well with some Local Health Boards as we would like to have seen when the strategy was launched."