Charity warns of funding crisis for children’s hospices

A charity is warning that children’s hospices will face a funding crisis if a £25m grant doesn't continue beyond next year.

Together for Short Lives says thousands of children with life-limiting illnesses are at risk of missing out on vital services including end of life care.

A report published by the charity says the loss of the grant would mean nearly 2 in 5 children’s hospices would be forced to scale back end of life care, while 79 per cent would cease to provide respite or short breaks and two thirds would stop the hospice at home services they provide.

Will Cooke's son Dylan was cared for at Haven House Children's Hospice in Woodford Green before passing away age three.

Will said: “It's difficult to quantify actually the purity of having that time together and that extra bit of support and yet without this funding there's going to be hundreds - if not thousands - of families across the country who won't get that support, won't get as far as we did, won't have the memories that we did and that's heart-breaking.”

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.”