It was very, very disappointing to see the announcement that children's hospices are not to receive an increase in financial support for provision of end-of-life care as part of the phase 2 funding and, with no timeline in sight for the commencement of phase 3, the hospices are growing increasingly frustrated and concerned about the future. I appeal to Welsh Government again today to remember the value that hospices offer, and that's the value in every sense of the word—the financial value, but also, more importantly, the value of knowing that we are giving the best care at the most difficult of times.

The pandemic, of course, also reminded us of the great potential that we have to deliver end-of-life care within our communities. The collective mindset that the pandemic brought out in all of us meant that, at a time when resources and space were limited, we could still provide a form of care for people in their final days, weeks of life. But we can't have a health system that over-relies on goodwill, and we shouldn't have to. As the report states, we could see almost a doubling of demand for palliative care by 2040—a doubling—and so, not only do we need to see an increase in provision in our current systems, a scaling up of the capacity that we currently have, we also have to consider how we can do things differently in future, how we could make use of communities to provide palliative end-of-life care in a holistic way that's comfortable, provides comfort not only for the patient but, of course, for their families. It'll need innovation, it'll need fresh thinking, that's why a report like this from the cross-party group is so important. But, inevitably, it will also need additional funding from Welsh Government, increasing resources, financially supporting families that are taking pressure off hospitals.

Now, from a policy perspective, the pandemic allowed experts in their field greater control over Government policy. If we have real intentions to put palliative care not only at the heart of plans for future pandemics, but also as a priority for a better health service in Wales in general, we must learn the valuable lessons of the positive impact that experts, driving ideas into the heart of the system, can have in leading and delivering on health in Wales.