Claire House visit Westminster to call for NHS grant to be protected
The Children's Hospice Grant is due to be end after March 2024
Last updated 22nd Jun 2023
Staff and families from Merseyside hospice Claire House have visited Westminster to lobby politicians to protect the £25m Children's Hospice Grant.
It's due to be discontinued in March 2024.
The grant makes up around 1/5 of Claire House's funding.
David Pastor, CEO at Claire House, said:
"Funding for hospices is a necessity, not a nice to have. Losing the grant would have a massive impact on hospices like Claire House at a really difficult time.
"Families have been pushed to their limits by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, and hospices provide a vital lifeline. We want the Government to guarantee its funding for now and the future, so we can always be there for the families who desperately need us.
"We need as many people as possible to sign our petition to show that they want the Grant protected."
19-year-old Liam Ashton from Halewood has used Claire House for the last 12 years.
He has muscle wasting disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Liam said:
"Claire House means so much to me. It’s been a constant for over half my life and it’s so important that their services, and those at children’s hospices across the country, are protected.
"Things like hydrotherapy, respite and counselling aren’t offered by the NHS, and if they take those away, it will end up costing the NHS more money, take up bed spaces and make waiting lists even longer. They are so vital to so many people like me and without them we would really struggle.
"Please join me in calling on the government to save the grant and protect hospices like Claire House."
Liam managed to air his concerns to local MPs Alison McGovern, Margaret Greenwood, Dan Carden, Ian Byrne, Sir George Howarth and Mike Amesbury as well as the Care Minister Helen Whately.
Together for Short Lives is worried that the grant could either be cut or distributed via Integrated Care Boards, meaning it may not make it to the hospices.
The charity is warning that nearly two in five children's hospices would have to scale back end-of-life care, 79% would cease providing respite or short breaks, and two-thirds would stop hospice at home services.
An NHS spokesperson said:
"The NHS committed to a five-year funding programme for children’s hospices as part of the NHS Long Term Plan in 2019 and discussion is currently ongoing with the government and the hospice sector to finalise arrangements for beyond this financial year."
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
"NHS England will again be making £25 million available in the next financial year to support the children's hospice sector through grant funding.
"We have made over £400 million available to hospices since 2020 to secure and increase additional NHS capacity and enable hospital discharge, ensuring hospices can continue to deliver care to those who need it.
"Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations who remain free to set their own salary rates at their chosen level."