NHS England have declared funding for the children’s hospices in the UK will rise to £25 million a year.
Medical advances now mean the NHS can help seriously ill children and young people, they are able them both live longer when they have complex health issues.
Currently, NHS England provides £12 million a year for children’s hospices. They provide care and support to the children/young people and their families in what could be their last moments.
Last month, a charity warned that a children’s hospice in England will be forced to cut services or shut unless the NHS increases its funding. One of the hospices, Acorns, has said it will have no choice but to close later this year unless it can raise more than £1.5 million. If it closes this means more than 200 children would have no vital support or will be forced to travel long distances and 70 jobs will be lost.
The NHS will now increase this amount by £13 million in 2023/24.
The NHS Long Term plan is to make the NHS better for the future and will get the best value of care for patients and the best value of the taxpayers’ investment.
You can look at the full summary of the plan by clicking here.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: “Hospices play a crucial role in providing essential children’s palliative care services, which is why our NHS Long Term Plan will double the contribution made to children’s hospices.”
Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives said: “This is a really welcome commitment to invest in children’s hospices at a crucial time. We know that the number of children with life-limiting conditions is growing and the care and support they need is increasingly complex.
“With this complexity comes greater cost and I am pleased that NHS England has listened to concerns raised around a growing funding gap. This announcement will give children’s hospices more confidence to plan and deliver their services and provide vital support to meet the needs of seriously ill children and families.”
Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK said “I’m really pleased that NHS England have listened to Children’s Hospices and families of children with life shortening conditions and have given assurances that this much needed funding increase will go directly to children’s hospices as originally intended.
“These essential services for some of our most vulnerable children and families are funded mainly from charitable donations and as both the cost and complexity of care continues to rise, we are seeing children’s hospices under increasing threat. This announcement will help make sure these children and families continue to get the support they need and deserve.”
