Hospices: Children

Question

Children’s palliative and end of life care is an important priority for the National Health Service. In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England set out that it will increase its contribution to children’s palliative care over the next five years by match funding clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which commit to increase their investment in local children’s palliative and end of life care services. NHS England will match CCG increased investment by up to £7 million a year by 2023/24.

The increase set out in the Long Term Plan is in addition to the existing Children’s Hospice Grant, which currently provides an annual contribution of £11 million. NHS England estimates that full match funding should more than double the additional NHS support from £11 million to a combined total of £25 million a year by 2023/24.

The Department would expect hospices to be significant beneficiaries of the additional funding NHS England has committed to over the next five years. In many areas, children’s hospices are the main providers of children’s palliative and end of life care services. However, this new investment may also provide for community services; short break (respite) services; and out of hours support for children with palliative care needs, all of which we know is hugely valued by children and their families and carers.

The Department believes the focus of NHS England’s planned increase to children’s palliative care services is the correct to approach to deliver sustainable and effective care for this vulnerable group of patients. Simply increasing the hospice grant is not a solution. Local Commissioners need to deliver the investment and plan services in this important area holistically, and the funding increase NHS England has committed to provides a strong incentive for them to do that.