Number of children with life-limiting conditions in Wales rising
The first report of its kind has been released
Last updated 21st Jun 2023
The number of children and young people living with life-limiting conditions is continuing to rise across Wales.
A new report which specifically focusses on children in Wales has been released for the first time.
Figures show there are more than 3,500 babies and children in Wales with life limiting conditions.
It's come out to marking Children's Hospice Week and highlights the work Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith do.
Key findings include:
- 1 in every 172 under 18s living in Wales has a life-limiting condition.
- The number of children living with life-limiting conditions in Wales rose by almost a quarter between 2009 and 2019.
- The number of young people aged between 18 and 26-years-old living with life-limiting conditions in Wales between 2009 and 2019 rose by almost a third.
- More than half of all deaths of children in Wales between 2009 and 2019 were deaths of children with life-limiting conditions.
Maria Timon Samra, Chief Executive of Tŷ Hafan Children‘s Hospice, said: “We are very proud of this ground-breaking report, the first ever to look specifically at children with life-limiting conditions in Wales.
“The Children in Wales Requiring Palliative Care: Trends in Prevalence and Complexity 2009 – 2019 Report shows just how important the services provided by Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices are.
“They are not only unique, holistic services for some of Wales’s most vulnerable children and their families who are facing intense health challenges and all that come with such challenges, but Wales’s two children’s hospices are also taking huge amount of pressure off an already very over-stretched NHS.
"More than ever this reinforces the need for a sustainable long-term funding solution from the Welsh Government.”
Andy Goldsmith, Chief Executive of Hope House Tŷ Gobaith, said: “The trends identified in this ground-breaking report predict that demand for the services provided by Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith is going to rise steeply.
"It also shows that that the type of services they provide will need to adapt to keep up with the increasingly complex conditions that children are now living with.”