6. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the allocation of funding for the development of a national funding framework for adult and child hospices in Scotland. (S6O-02971)

I held discussions with Cabinet secretaries and ministers in the run-up to setting an extremely challenging budget, which will deliver funding of more than £19.5 billion for national health service recovery, health and social care. Despite that investment, the system is under extreme pressure as a result of the on-going impact of Covid, Brexit, inflation and United Kingdom Government spending decisions. It remains for integration joint boards to plan and resource hospice care, using the integrated budget that is under their control. We highly value the vital support that hospices provide to people and continue to work on developing a national guidance framework.

I do not praise the Cabinet secretary very often, so she may enjoy this moment. During her time as health secretary, it was very welcome that a five-year funding framework for child hospices in Scotland was developed, which has now come to an end. This year, the hospice sector is reporting that it has been destabilised by rising staffing costs, especially as a result of the agenda for change NHS pay awards. In future budget discussions, will the Scottish Government agree to ensure that a sustainable funding model for hospices has an in-built mechanism for future NHS pay awards to recognise the knock-on effects on pay pressures for the hospice sector? Will she agree to meet the sector to discuss that further?

I recognise Miles Briggs’s long-term interest and work on the matter, as well as his role on the cross-party group on palliative care. It is a complex area, as I know Miles Briggs is aware. Some of the pay issues that he described are complex, for example in relation to commissioned services. We need to work through those issues carefully. I know that hospice and health and social care partnership leaders welcome the honest and frank discussion that they had with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, which was convened in December, and health and social care partnership chief officers have already followed through with their own discussions. The minister and her officials will continue to work with chief officers and independent hospices in order to support longer-term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector.

I know that the minister has written to everyone who was involved in the round table to stress that she is keen to build on the dialogue that has been opened, and she will continue to work on the matter through the draft national guidance framework. I would expect some of the issues around pay to be resolved as part of that.

I would be very happy to suggest that the minister have another meeting with Miles Briggs to discuss the matter further. I will keep a close eye on developments.

I thank Miles Briggs for lodging his question, which goes beyond year-to-year budget settlements. Indeed, I think it goes beyond even a five-year basis. As we face demographic change, there will be increasing pressures, and hospices are only partially funded by the state.

I ask the Cabinet secretary to reflect on that point, and on our need for a genuine, long-term solution to reflect the changing need that we will have for the hospice sector and end-of-life care in general.

Much as I said to Miles Briggs, I say to Daniel Johnson that I have a lot of sympathy with the point that he makes. Some of the issues are complex but, ultimately, the national guidance framework that the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health has been developing is the right place to try and resolve these matters. Some of them relate to pay, and some relate to commissioned services and how they sit within the wider health and social care landscape.

As I said to Miles Briggs, I will keep a very close interest in the development of the framework. The minister leads on this matter, and I will draw to her attention the fact that Daniel Johnson has raised what are very important matters here today.