Care and support services for children with terminal illnesses are woefully under-funded thanks to cuts made by the government, says Barbara Keeley MP.
Ms Keeley has long supported the plight of adult and child carers in Salford.
Speaking in a Westminster debate, the Worsley and Eccles South MP said austerity was making it harder for services to provide care to children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
The Charity ‘Together for Short Lives’ found that Clinical Commissioning Groups – bodies that plan and monitor health services – contribute just 10% on average to the cost of the care that children receive in hospices.
This is compared to an average of around 30% funding towards care for adults in hospices.
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Because of cuts to core funding, six out of 10 local authorities have had to slash budgets by 15% over the past four years that pay for short breaks for ill or disabled children.
Barbara said: “Many hospices, hospitals, social care providers and charities are providing excellent care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
“But it is clear that more needs to be done to develop a sustainable funding system that can provide a fully integrated service for families at all stages of their child’s illness.
“In Salford, the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity supports nine families whose children have a terminal or life-threatening illness.
“Charities like the Rainbow Trust provide an essential service to families outside a hospice setting and yet only receive 3% of the funding needed for those services from statutory authorities.
“The Government must recognise the value of community palliative care and how this can work alongside hospice care to provide families with the support they need from the very moment a diagnosis is made.
“I am calling for more to be done in future to ensure that every family and child living with a life-limiting condition can access the support they need, when they need it.”
Main image: themighty.com
