Children’s hospices put at risk by loss of £21m grant

It has led to huge anxiety for staff running hospices, patients and their families.

Paul Farthing, the chief executive of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, said: “We gratefully receive ­funding from the Government
but it hasn’t committed to ­providing this long-term. If this vital source of income ceases, services at children’s ­hospices across England will be at risk.

“We would have no choice but to cut costs or rely on our ­supporters to raise the difference – and with the cost-of-living crisis this is a huge ask.”

Many hospices say if the grant is not continued they would have to consider slashing services with a reduction in care picked up by the over-stretched NHS.

The grant provides around one pound in every six spent by ­children’s hospices on care. But officials have refused to commit to extending it after 2023-2024.

Children’s hospices are charities and most have to ­arrange fundraising for 80 per cent of their income with a ­fraction coming from the NHS and councils.

An audit carried out by Hospice UK – the national charity for ­hospice and end-of-life care – led it to estimate that hospices will spend ­£186million more than they raise over the next year.

And hospice energy bills are set to increase by £29million as they battle to operate in “the most ­difficult economic climate ever”.

The centres are facing soaring energy and food costs, plummeting donations and having to match NHS pay awards.

A total of 38 per cent of hospices received no more or reduced levels of Government funding last year. And 96 per cent ­are budgeting for a deficit this ­financial year. The average adult hospice in England gets 32 percent of its funding from health budgets while children’s hospices get 17 per cent.

It means all rely heavily on ­community fundraising. But, with bills rising, ­people with complex end-of-life needs could soon be left without support as some hospices could be forced to close.

Toby Porter, the chief executive of Hospice UK, said: “Children’s ­hospices need immediate clarity as to how much funding they will receive from the next phase of the Children’s Hospice Grant and how it will be delivered. We can’t keep relying on ­communities being able to increase their donations.

“This approach to funding would be unacceptable in any other area of our healthcare ­system and it shouldn’t be acceptable in end-of-life care either. If maternity services relied on marathons and bake sales, there would rightfully be uproar. Yet essential children’s hospice care increasingly seems to rely on fragile and unpredictable sources of income.

“Every children’s hospice in the UK wants to be able to commit to being able to help any child or family who needs them – a simple but incredibly important promise.

“But in order to do so, the sector needs long-term, sustainable ­funding. We are asking the Government to recognise this and to let ­children’s hospices know whether and how this vital ­funding will be continued.”

An NHS spokesman said last night that the service committed to a five-year funding programme for children’s hospices in 2019. He added: “Discussion is currently ongoing with the hospice sector to determine arrangements beyond this financial year.”

The Daily Express is campaigning for hospices to get the support they need.