2007/8                   2008/9

North Wales NHS Trust          £ 159,289              £ 170,144

Velindre NHS Trust                   £ 18,934                £ 19,514

Cwm Taf NHS Trust                  £ 46,093                £ 97,809

Abertawe bro Morgannwg £ 218,299             £ 216,642

Hywel Dda NHS Trust                 £ 63,185             £ 115,774

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust    £ 240,596             £ 251,483

North West Wales NHS Trust       £ 95,429             £ 103,877

Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust            £ 312,000             £ 300,845

Powys Local Health Board           £ 35,228               £ 38,119

======= =======

                                                  £1,189,013            £1,314,207

                                                       2009/10                 2010/11

Betsi Cadwladr NHS Trust*          £ 259,042             £ 221,619

Velindre NHS Trust#                       £ 57,162                £ 30,857

Cwm Taf NHS Trust                      £ 117,990               £ 111,974

Abertawe bro Morgannwg     £ 214,000               £ 231,842

Hywel Dda NHS Trust                   £ 124,556               £ 131,000

Aneurin Bevan NHS Trust             £ 259,910               £ 260,589

Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust#             £ 293,158               £ 293,351

Powys Local Health Trust                £ 46,603                £ 45,389

======== ========

                                                      £1,372,421             £1,326,621

The provision of a hospital chaplaincy service is not a statutory obligation for the NHS although it is a statutory obligation for the prison service and the armed forces. It is probably best described as a traditional provision by the NHS.

A million and a quarter pounds each and every year into the future may be seen as a small contribution but only by obtaining many such small contributions may these increasing demands be met.

The creation of a Hospital Chaplaincy Fund to cover the cost of religious care by hospital chaplains would relieve this drain on NHS resources.The proposed charity would need to raise about £1.5 million per year to maintain the present service. This is ought to be entirely achievable for a supposedly valued service. While the present fiscal arrangements are in place, a portion of this amount would be met by gift aid tax which is returned by the Treasury. The Welsh Air Ambulance charity raises £5 million per year.

In Wales the largest single faith community is the Anglican Church in Wales. Alan Rogers , of the Charitable Chaplaincy Campaign, has written to the Bishops and Archbishop of the Church in Wales suggesting that they might be the natural leaders in this enterprise. The reaction has been, the NHS has taken responsibility for religious care, so the Church need not act. Regrettably there appears to be a lack of leadership from the Church in this matter.

As a consequence, a strong political lead is required. The CCC suggest that this should perhaps amount to a declaration of a time period for the transition to charitable funding. Anyone want to second this motion?