Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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237. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details of the prospective funding model for palliative care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31728/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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In line with recommendations contained in Future Health - A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 - 2015, the HSE is currently working on a Prospective Funding Model for Palliative Care which will assist in integrating and accounting for palliative care across all funding streams and delivery models.

An Expert Group on Prospective Funding in Palliative Care was established in May 2012 to produce a report with recommendations about the development of this Prospective Funding Model for the consideration of the HSE and the Department of Health. The Group is chaired by Professor Charles Normand, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Trinity College Dublin, and includes a representative of my Department.

It is expected that an interim report will be submitted to the Department of Health in Q3 2014 which will include:

- a review of international approaches to palliative care funding;

- a description of the best practice model of palliative care provision;

- a description of current data collection systems for palliative care activity;

- a description of the current funding system for palliative care; and

- a definition of the current spend on palliative care with unit costings for specialist palliative care provision.