Simon Jupp MP secures debate on Devon hospice funding in Parliament

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, has secured a debate on hospice funding in Devon on Wednesday 15th January as part of his campaign for NHS Devon to improve its financial support to local hospice care providers. The Minister of State for Care, Helen Whately MP, is expected to be in attendance for the debate which will take place in the House of Commons.

Having first raised the matter in 2022, Simon Jupp MP has called for the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) to increase its funding to the county’s hospices after figures revealed its contributions to some local providers were below the national average.

Hospiscare, an independent local charity supporting 2,500 people each year, is funded for 18% of their costs from the county’s ICB compared to a national average of 32% from ICBs in England.

Integrated care boards are a statutory NHS body responsible for meeting the health needs of a population. ICBs – rather than the government or NHS England – are responsible for determining the level of funding for palliative and end-of-life care in their area.

In a letter sent to the Chair of NHS Devon, Dr Sarah Wollaston, on the 24thNovember 2023, Simon Jupp MP called for a funding increase as soon as possible and for the ICB to extend its funding offer to Sidmouth Hospice at Home.

The local Sidmouth charity provides an extensive service to local patients and has helped speed up patient discharge from local hospitals, despite receiving no funding from NHS Devon ICB at all.

As part of his campaign, Simon Jupp MP has also launched a petition for fairer local hospice funding from NHS Devon which can be accessed via his website. Local residents are being encouraged to sign the petition to put pressure on the ICB to improve its funding offer to Devon’s hospice care providers.

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, said; “I’m delighted to have secured a debate on hospice funding in Devon as part of my campaign to get our brilliant local providers a better deal from NHS Devon. Local hospice care providers like Sidmouth Hospice at Home and Hospiscare give incredible support and comfort to so many in East Devon. I’m looking forward to raising their brilliant achievements in Parliament and making my case for them to finally receive increased funding from our local NHS, which would help their amazing teams continue to provide compassionate quality care whilst preventing extra demand on the NHS system. Local people can join my campaign by signing the petition on my website. It’s time NHS Devon listened to us and provided fairer funding for our hospices. ”