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NWJCC Leads New Guidance to Improve the Commissioning of Hospice Care in Wales

The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (NWJCC) has led the development of new commissioning guidance for hospice care in Wales, following a request from Welsh Government to draw on its expertise to bring greater clarity and consistency to how hospice services are secured nationally. 

The NWJCC has played a system leadership role, working collaboratively with Welsh Government, the NHS Wales Performance and Improvement National Programme for Palliative and End of Life Care, commissioners from Health Boards, providers, and national programmes to develop the guidance. This marks an important step forward in setting out shared commissioning principles, clarifying expectations of good practice, and providing practical direction over the short, medium and long term. 

Implementation of the guidance is intended to deliver system‑wide benefits, including: 

  • More equitable access to hospice care across Health Board areas 

  • Clearer and more consistent commissioning expectations 

  • Improved sustainability for providers through longer‑term, needs‑led commissioning  

  • Stronger alignment across the health system, while retaining local commissioning responsibility 

  • A clear foundation for future reform, supporting a move towards a more streamlined national commissioning model from April 2027. 

Hospices play a vital role in delivering palliative and end‑of‑life care, yet access to hospice and specialist palliative care services has historically varied between communities. The guidance provides a common national basis for addressing this variation and supporting more consistent commissioning of hospice services. 

Sue O’Leary, Director of Commissioning for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Vulnerable Groups at NWJCC, said: “Whilst the responsibility for funding hospices remains with Health Boards and Welsh Government, the NWJCC has been pleased to bring partners together, and to share national commissioning expertise to support the development of a more consistent and equitable approach to the commissioning of hospice based care across Wales.  

“Working closely with the National Programme for Palliative and End of Life Care, Health Boards and hospice providers, this guidance will demonstrate how coordinated national leadership could reduce unwarranted variation, clarify commissioning expectations and support more sustainable, long‑term commissioning of hospice services.”  

Claire Harding, Assistant Director of Commissioning National Programmes at the NWJCC, added: “Ensuring high‑quality, safe hospice care for the Welsh population is a shared priority across the health system. It has been a pleasure to work with commissioners and providers to develop this guidance. 

“Timely implementation will be vital so that its opportunities can be fully realised, as partners work towards a more sustainable approach to hospice commissioning.” 

The guidance underpins the new non‑statutory commissioning guidance published by Welsh Government and complements a £4.3 million one‑off stabilisation grant for children’s and adult hospices for 2025–26. While the funding provides immediate financial support to hospices, the commissioning guidance sets out the longer‑term direction for how hospice care is commissioned and supported across Wales. 

The Welsh Government announcement, including details of the £4.3 million stabilisation grant and the publication of An Approach to the Commissioning of Hospice Care in Wales, is available here.