This afternoon we delivered an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, calling for immediate action to end the children’s palliative care workforce crisis.
This action should include making serious investments in planning, recruitment and training to ensure that gaps in the workforce are identified, and then filled.
Currently there are too few NHS community children’s nurses, specialist consultants in paediatric palliative medicine, children’s hospice nurses and allied health professionals who have the skills and experience needed to provide this crucial care.
This is leading to seriously ill children and their families losing out on vital care and support. Too many children with life-limiting conditions and their families are unable to receive round the clock care.
I am hugely grateful to all who signed our open letter to the Secretary of State. Children’s palliative care services are struggling with a dangerous mix of growing staff shortages and rising caseloads.
Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive
The open letter, which was signed by over 600 people, was handed over by Andy Fletcher, our Chief Executive. Andy said:
“I am hugely grateful to all who signed our open letter to the Secretary of State. Children’s palliative care services are struggling with a dangerous mix of growing staff shortages and rising caseloads. Time is short for many seriously ill children and their families. They cannot wait any longer. We ask that the NHS People Plan sets out a programme to boost the number of professionals working with these children in the NHS and voluntary sector, in hospitals, children’s hospices and the community.”
Andy was accompanied at the Department of Health and Social Care by parents Gail Bedding and Rachel Thompson, Birmingham Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe and Consultants in Paediatric Palliative Medicine at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Dr Ella Aidoo and Dr Lizzie Bendle.
All we ask for is for more people to be trained to help us support our children, to help us give them the best quality of life they deserve, we don’t know how long they have but we want to make it the happiest time for us all
Gail Bedding, Parent
On the workforce crisis, parent Gail Bedding said:
“So many families are at crisis point, they are exhausted and broken. Not enough trained help to give parent carers a much needed break, all they need is a few hours to look after themselves and maybe their other children, it’s not much to ask”
“All we ask for is for more people to be trained to help us support our children, to help us give them the best quality of life they deserve, we don’t know how long they have but we want to make it the happiest time for us all”
