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Palliative Care

Asked by Sarah HallLabour (Co-op)Department of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 12 September 2025UIN 72756

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the comparative cost to the NHS of (a) hospice inpatient beds and (b) acute hospital beds for palliative care patients.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

While the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including charitable hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and those important to them. As charitable hospices are independent, autonomous organisations, they are free to set their own wages and some associated costs, and the Department does not hold or collect this information.

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