HOSPICES throughout Wales are set to benefit from a £4.3m support package announced by the Welsh Government, aimed at helping both children’s and adult services cope with mounting financial pressures.

The funding will provide relief as hospices grapple with rising energy costs, workforce shortages and growing demand for increasingly complex care.

Alongside the financial support, landmark national commissioning guidance has been agreed for the first time, establishing a fairer and more consistent framework for how hospice and palliative care services are planned and funded. The reforms are intended to pave the way for a streamlined national commissioning model from April 2027, tackling longstanding inequities in access to care across the country.

Around 35,000 people die in Wales each year, with up to 29,000 having palliative care needs. Yet roughly a quarter of people currently lack access to a hospice or equivalent specialist palliative care support.

The one-off stabilisation grant brings total Welsh Government investment in hospices to more than £25m over this Senedd term.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, said: “Hospices provide valued and trusted care to thousands of people and families at the most difficult time in their lives. They enable people to spend their final days with dignity, comfort and compassion, surrounded by those they love.

“This grant will provide immediate support to help hospices continue their vital work. With the new commissioning guidance, we are laying the foundations for a fairer, more sustainable future for hospice care in Wales; one where funding is more predictable, services are commissioned based on need, and every person has access to high-quality end of life care.”

National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End-of-Life Care, Dr Idris Baker, said: “The new commissioning guidance is a major step forward, setting a clear and consistent approach to how hospice care is planned and funded across Wales.

“Hospices are a vital part of the palliative and end-of-life care system, bringing specialist expertise, compassion and support to people, families and communities when it matters most.

“This funding provides important stability for the sector now, while the guidance lays the foundations for a more sustainable and equitable future, helping ensure that access to high quality care is based on need, wherever people live.

“Our focus now is on implementation and the next phase of work to strengthen equity across Wales, including developing a whole system approach to specialist palliative care commissioning. By building on this progress, we can reduce variation, improve access, and ensure services work seamlessly together to meet the needs of people and families across all settings.”

Chief Executive Officer of City Hospice, Dr Liz Booyse, said: “This funding is welcome news for hospices across Wales. Like many in our sector, we have been navigating a challenging financial landscape.

“This stabilisation grant will support City Hospice as we continue to provide specialist care to patients and families who need us most.

“We also welcome the new commissioning guidance, and Welsh Government’s commitment to establishing a long term sustainable hospice sector in Wales, working in partnership with hospices, to ensure we can be there for our communities for years to come.”

Charity backs Vision Zero ambition but warns targets and investment remain unclear

CYCLING UK has welcomed the Welsh Government’s new long-term road safety strategy—but warned it risks falling short without clear targets and guaranteed funding.

The charity was responding to the publication of the Road Safety Partnership Plan 2026–2040, which sets out how ministers aim to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Welsh roads through a “Vision Zero” approach.

The plan places a strong emphasis on safer speeds, improved road design, and greater support for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

However, Cycling UK said key details are still missing.

Gwenda Owen, Wales advocacy and development lead at Cycling UK, said: “Recognising that people walking, wheeling, and cycling are most at risk on our roads—and that the system itself must be redesigned to protect them—reaffirms the Welsh Government’s commitment to active travel.

“But for this plan to succeed, it needs sustained, ring-fenced funding to build cycling infrastructure that works for everyday journeys.”

She added that while ministers have pledged to increase cycling levels and improve safety, there is currently no clarity on how progress will be measured.

“The commitment to Vision Zero is crucial, but there needs to be a clear plan showing how it will be achieved,” she said.

Cycling UK also warned that without defined targets, the strategy risks losing momentum despite Wales’ previous leadership in promoting active travel.

The Welsh Government says the plan represents a long-term commitment to making roads safer for all users, with further details on targets expected in due course.

Award-winning PC spared dismissal despite panel ruling groin contact was deliberate

A DYFED-POWYS POLICE officer praised for saving a toddler’s life has kept her job despite being found to have deliberately touched a man’s groin during a night out.

PC Zoe Williams was handed a final written warning after a misconduct panel ruled her actions amounted to gross misconduct following an incident at the RAFA Club in St Davids over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2024.

The off-duty officer had been drinking with friends before entering the club, where CCTV captured her making two deliberate movements towards a man’s groin and making contact at around 1:20am.

Williams denied the allegation, claiming any contact was accidental and to the man’s midriff. The panel rejected her account, finding the touching was intentional and sexual in nature, likely intended to show interest in the man.

It concluded she had breached standards of authority, respect and courtesy, as well as discreditable conduct. There was no evidence the man had consented to the contact, and the panel noted that a number of people present knew she was a police officer at the time.

Her culpability was assessed as medium to high, with the panel warning her behaviour had the potential to undermine public confidence in policing. Aggravating factors included sexual motivation, excessive alcohol consumption and breaches of multiple professional standards.

Despite the gross misconduct finding, the panel decided dismissal would be disproportionate.

In reaching that decision, it placed significant weight on Williams’ otherwise strong record — in particular an incident earlier that year when she helped save the life of a two-year-old child.

While off duty and walking her dog on a beach at Solva, she carried out prolonged CPR after the child collapsed and stopped breathing. The child survived, and Williams later received commendations from the Chief Constable and the High Sheriff.

The panel also considered a series of positive testimonials describing her as a capable and compassionate officer, and concluded the incident was out of character.

It ruled that a final written warning would be sufficient to mark the seriousness of the misconduct while allowing her to continue serving the public.

The decision is likely to prompt debate about consistency in police discipline, particularly in cases involving sexualised behaviour, and whether an officer found to have committed gross misconduct should remain in post.