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Children’s Hospices: Funding
30 October 2024
Lead MP
Ian Byrne
Liverpool West Derby
Lab
Responding Minister
Stephen Kinnock
Tags
NHS
Word Count: 12842
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Ian Byrne raised concerns about children’s hospices: funding in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Ian Byrne asks the Government to commit to maintaining the £25 million children's hospice grant for 2025-26 and beyond, to make it centrally distributed once again, and to use the NHS 10-year plan to fill the almost £300 million gap in funding for children's palliative care.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Ian Byrne is concerned about the potential closure of Zoe's Place, a children's hospice in his constituency, due to spiralling costs and insufficient funding. He highlighted the essential support provided by Zoe's Place for families with seriously ill children, stating that it should not be reliant on charity but an integral part of public services. The current model is described as 'broken,' with less than 30% of income coming from public money and most of it uncertain in its future due to potential cuts or changes.
Alison Bennett
Lib Dem
Mid Sussex
Ms Bennett highlighted the plight of children's hospices in the UK, citing the case of Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice in Arundel. She expressed concern over the total dependence on fundraising and raised issues such as unequal access to 24/7 end-of-life care and significant disparities in funding per patient among different regions. She mentioned that only 31% of integrated care boards could confirm how many children accessed hospice care, indicating a lack of transparency.
Bradley Thomas
Con
Bromsgrove
He expressed support for Acorns Children's Hospice in his constituency and highlighted the importance of its work. He urged the Minister to protect and maintain the children's hospice grant, ensuring that it is ringfenced and increased annually by at least inflation rates for five years.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Ms Caroline Johnson highlighted the importance of children's hospices for families dealing with life-limiting illnesses, noting that there are now 99,000 seriously ill children in the UK. She expressed concern over rising costs faced by hospices and called for increased funding to ensure all children have access regardless of location. Ms Johnson also questioned the current ICBs allocation process for hospice grants, urging the Government to consider national commissioning given the nature of these services.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
He agreed that community funding should complement, not replace, Government funding for hospice services.
Iqbal Mohamed
Ind
Dewsbury and Batley
Iqbal Mohamed noted that more than half of children's hospices in the UK reported deficits in 2023-24, with nearly three-quarters forecasting a net deficit for 2024-25. He highlighted the crucial role played by Forget Me Not Children's Hospice in Kirklees and warned that losing NHS grant funding would lead to service cuts, impacting seriously ill children and their families.
James MacCleary
Lib Dem
Lewes
He expressed concern about the postcode lottery for palliative care in Sussex, where only a third of local areas meet required standards. He highlighted that Sussex's population of nearly 442,500 children includes approximately 67 out of every 10,000 requiring specialist palliative care, but many families face inadequate support due to funding and workforce shortages.
Joshua Reynolds
Lib Dem
Maidenhead
Reynolds discussed the essential role of children's hospices, highlighting the financial strain they face with increased costs and reduced funding from ICBs and local authorities. He cited Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service in Maidenhead as an example, noting its provision of 18,000 hours of care last year while relying heavily on donations.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Thanks the hon. Member and congratulates Liverpool on securing nearly £5 million for Zoe's Place, while suggesting that charitable trusts should not be relied upon to support children's hospices and advocating for statutory funding.
Matthew Patrick
Lab
Wirral West
Congratulates the hon. Member on securing a debate and highlights Claire House's essential role in health and social care, advocating for equitable access to palliative care despite variations in integrated care board funding across England.
Richard Burgon
Lab
Leeds East
Congratulates the hon. Member on securing the debate, recognising the value of Martin House Children's Hospice in Leeds, and expresses admiration for Liverpool's fundraising efforts which have inspired support for full funding for palliative care.
Mitcham and Morden
The MP discussed the challenges faced by Shooting Star CHASE hospice, which serves 14 London boroughs. She pointed out that due to the dispersed nature of families served, any integrated care board can ignore their small numbers. McDonagh advocated for maintaining central funding for children's hospices and urged the Minister to consider including palliative care in the NHS's 10-year plan.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Tim Farron highlighted the financial strain on children's hospices, citing Jigsaw in Cumbria as an example. He mentioned that nearly 3,500 people aged 0 to 24 with life-limiting conditions rely on the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and over 6,000 on the North Cumbria ICB. Farron pointed out that without proper funding, hospices like Jigsaw struggle due to rising costs such as inflation and energy bills.
Vikki Slade
Lib Dem
Mid Dorset and North Poole
The MP expressed concern about the financial difficulties faced by children's hospices, citing Julia's House in her constituency as an example. She highlighted that only 8% of its funding comes from the NHS and that end-of-life care costs three times more than usual per-child funding. Slade emphasized the need for long-term guaranteed funding to support families with children facing life-shortening illnesses.
Wendy Morton
Con
Aldridge-Brownhills
She paid tribute to the work of Acorns hospice in Walsall and highlighted the need for sustainable NHS England funding. She mentioned that it costs around £11 million annually for Acorns to run its services, with only a small percentage funded by government, stressing the importance of maintaining and increasing the existing £25 million NHS England funding. Ms Wendy Morton intervened to express concern that funding through ICBs could pit one healthcare sector against another, suggesting a need for assurance that children's hospices will receive the necessary support.
Yasmin Qureshi
Lab
Bolton South and Walkden
She emphasised the importance of providing central funding for palliative care across the UK, suggesting a need for £285 million to support hospices. She urged the Minister to include palliative care in the NHS 10-year review plan.
Zöe Franklin
Lib Dem
Guildford
She visited Christopher's children's hospice and highlighted the financial challenges faced by hospices, noting that only a third of funding comes from NHS and central government. She expressed concern over delays in accessing £25 million allocated for 2024-25 and uncertainty about future funding. Franklin urged the Minister to commit to long-term centrally managed grant funding.
Government Response
Stephen Kinnock
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) for securing this vital debate. Hon. Members have shown how important the issue of children's palliative and end-of-life care services is to the House. The Government recognise the importance of palliative and end-of-life care services, including hospices, which provide personalised care and support at difficult times for children with complex needs, and their families and carers. It is estimated that there are more than 86,000 children and young people with life-limiting conditions in the UK, but this number will increase due to medical advances. Hospices play a vital part in providing care beyond the statutory offer, supported by local authorities and ICBs for respite care funding. The Government do not monitor the use of social care for children with palliative and end-of-life needs directly but require local authorities to publish short breaks duty statements showing available services and eligibility criteria. NHS England supports hospices through a £25 million grant, although there are inequalities in access, especially for those living in rural or socio-economically deprived areas. The shift to an ICB-transacted model has not been smooth, but the Department is working closely with NHS England to resolve issues and ensure sustainable funding. We are developing a 10-year plan to deliver health and care services fit for the future, considering policies impacting children's palliative care needs. Community health teams play a role in supporting children with complex needs, and hospices will be central to shaping a shift from hospital to community care. The Department is investing £3 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research to build an evidence base on all-age palliative and end-of-life care, focusing on inequalities.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.