Hospice UK responds to Children's Hospice Grant announcement

Hospice UK's responds the announcement from Government of a multi-year grant for children's hospices worth £80m.

Toby Porter, CEO of Hospice UK says: “This is a welcome and significant first step to placing the children's hospice sector on a sustainable footing. The stability provided by a multi-year settlement will have a real impact on the care children’s hospices provide and the families they support.

But unfortunately the whole hospice sector is still struggling, just as demand for their services is rising. Surging costs mean 2 in 5 English hospices are planning cuts this year, and 20% ended last year with a deficit of over £1m. All hospices need fair, sustainable funding, that allows them to plan care for their communities now and into the future. 

We look forward to working with the government on long-term reforms which are essential to safeguarding services and ensuring hospices can play their role in the shift towards more care delivered in the community.”