After advocating hard for more investment in end-of-life care, Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister has welcomed the announcement that £75 million is being released to for hospices.

Hospice at Home West Cumbria is one of 170 hospice organisations across England that will receive a share of the funding, the largest cash injection ever, to ensure patients receive the highest quality end-of-life care.

The hospice will receive £100,000.

Over £275,000 was also awarded to Eden Valley and Jigsaw Children’s Hospice in Carlisle, which also support patients from West Cumbria.

Visiting Hospice at Home West Cumbria’s Workington office recently following the announcement, Josh said: “I’m so pleased that this Labour Government has allocated such important funding to our hospice services.

“Hospice at Home West Cumbria, Eden Valley and Jigsaw provides such invaluable support in our community for people with life-limiting conditions and their loved ones and this government funding will make such a real difference.

“It has been my pleasure to visit Eden Valley and Jigsaw and to meet regularly with the Hospice at Home West Cumbria team and support their efforts.”

The Minister for Care Stephen Kinnock said: “Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most.

“At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity.

“I have seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending.

“End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.”

Hospices receive some funding from the NHS with the individual hospices then having to rely on fundraising efforts to pay for the services they provide.