The future of the Paul Sartori Foundation will be discussed at a crunch meeting between the charity and the Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart next month.

Last week’s Western Telegraph exclusive warned that the charity could fold after being allocated just eight days’ worth of funding by the Welsh Assembly.

Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies has set up the meeting between the charity, the health minister and Baroness Finlay, the chairman of the group that came up with the funding recommendation.

“The settlement is a massive blow,” Mr Davies said.

“Paul Sartori does a fantastic job providing a service which allows people to die with dignity in their homes. “Because it operates a slightly different model to residential hospices, I wonder if the value of its role is truly understood by the experts who have drawn up this funding formula?

“I have raised my serious concerns with the health minister and she has agreed to attend a meeting with representatives of the charity next month.

“I hope that between us we will be able to impress upon her and Baroness Finlay how vitally important it is to Pembrokeshire that this charity continues.”

Paul Sartori Hospice director Lorna Johns said: “We are delighted that we have been invited to meet with the minister and Professor Finlay.

“We will take the opportunity to provide an updated account of the Hospice at Home care provision, we will point out the running costs required and share our vision on the future direction of the Paul Sartori Foundation.”

Mrs Johns added: “Since last week’s story we have been overwhelmed by concerned supporters. “Many telephone calls have come through to me expressing strong support for the Hospice at Home care service and the need for the charity to continue.

“People of Pembroke-shire have ownership of the Paul Sartori Foundation and are very worried that the charity may vanish due to lack of funding.”

But Mrs Johns emphasised that the charity continues to provide care round the clock.

“The daily business of providing care to the terminally ill in our county continues and the fundraising must continue, because in the big picture, the bulk of our funding has come from the general public and not from statutory bodies. “We have welcomed the top-up from the Welsh Assembly in the past, and there is no doubt that realistic funding would help enormously in the planning and delivery of our Hospice at Home service. “We hope that in future years, if we can prove our merit with the letters of support from the general public, that realistic investment will be forthcoming.”

South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns will also be attending the November meeting.

She said: “I have some very grave concerns about the way these funding recommendations were drawn up and I will be looking for answers.”