Funding ‘must be more transparent’

A new government strategy for end-of-life care in England should look at creating a more transparent funding system for the
voluntary sector, a charity says.

A spokesperson for Sue Ryder Care said the strategy, announced last week by health minister Rosie Winterton, should look at changing the funding system because it was “more akin to Victorian era philanthropy than specialist end-oflife care”.

The strategy will look at funding for hospices, choice for patients and quality of care. It will be produced by national cancer director Professor Mike Richards and the national director for older people, Professor Ian Philp.

It will build on the health and social care white paper, Our Health,Our Care, Our Say, which outlined plans to set up end-of-life care networks and rapid response teams.

The Sue Ryder Care Centre for Palliative Care at Nottingham University is to lead the first national evaluation of the NHS end-of-life care programme.

Further information
Sue Ryder Care