For many people, 'hospice' is a frightening word because it is associated with the end of life, but hospices are a way for people to prioritise the wishes of the patient and the family. They offer specialised care and support that works to create ease and comfort and maintain the patient's quality of life. The key to providing comfort in the final days is a comprehensive plan that involves a team of medical and healthcare professionals who address all aspects of a patient's illness, to control and reduce pain and discomfort. Hospice care eases family anxiety, provides counselling and allows patients a chance to die with dignity and respect. Some 23,000 people in Wales have palliative care, and at any one time it includes 1,000 children.

However, despite the importance of providing this vital care service, hospices currently face a number of challenges that impact on their ability to provide sufficient support. A recent inquiry held by the cross-party group on hospices and palliative care found that the hospices are suffering from a lack of financial support from Welsh Government and local health boards. A lack of specialist palliative care staff and community nurses has caused delays in individuals accessing care, worsening unmet need and creating gaps within the services.

Hospices provide a range of service to patients, their families and carers, yet not all of these services are considered to be core NHS provision. The statutory contribution to the funding of charitable hospices does not contribute to the full range of care provided by hospices nor their management and overheads. As a result, hospices often rely on charitable donations to provide services. In 2018, hospices in Wales fundraised over £28 million. Figures from Hospice UK show that Wales has the lowest level of Government funding for adult hospices in the United Kingdom. Adult hospices in Wales receive some 28 per cent of their funding from Government, compared to 33 per cent in England, 34 per cent in Northern Ireland, and 35 per cent in Scotland.

The delivery of palliative care services also varies significantly across Wales, leading to a postcode lottery of services as was mentioned earlier. The Welsh Government's own study stated that those receiving palliative services should have access to high-quality care wherever they live. The cross-party group found that regional variation and inconsistencies exist that could be addressed at a national level. An ad hoc approach to service development contributes to inconsistencies in service provision. Difficulties in collecting and co-ordinating data on palliative care use means that service providers may be unable to adequately plan to meet demand and needs in local areas.

To add to the staffing pressures, specifically the shortages of GPs, district nurses and community paediatric nurses, who co-ordinate and deliver the day-to-day care of people with palliative care needs, it was reported recently that a lack of palliative care consultant cover has restricted bed occupancy at an in-patient unit run by St David's Hospice Care in Newport. Bed occupancy fell from 74 per cent to 53 per cent in 2018. Deputy Presiding Officer, Wales is falling behind other developed nations in providing fair and adequate funding for our hospices. We must recognise the true value of the services hospices provide to the people requiring end-of-life care and their families.

I have personal experience. My father-in-law was diagnosed only a couple of years ago, and 12 months earlier his GP told us that his life may not last for another 12 months. That is shocking news when families are told of these sorts of—whether it's cancer, motor neuron disease, or dementia. These are areas when alarm bells start, and doctors nearly know when the life is going to end. That is the time when our GPs must be giving full support to the family to make sure that they are having the dignity and respect in the family and the care and the desire for their end of life to be with peace, harmony and love among family members, rather than dying alone somewhere. Thank you very much.