Reacting to the Prime Minister’s decision to abolish NHS England, Nick Carroll, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives, said:
“As it begins this significant reform to the way the NHS works in England, the government must put the people the NHS cares for at the centre of this reorganisation. It is imperative that vulnerable people who rely on the NHS on a day-to-day basis – including seriously ill children and their families – are a priority for ministers.”
“At the moment, NHS England is an important part of the system that plans, funds and provides the lifeline care and support they rely on. It provides statutory guidance to local integrated care boards (ICBs) on how to commission children’s palliative care. It funds some specialised services and distributes crucial funding for children’s hospices through ICBs, money that was formerly known as the Children’s Hospice Grant.”
“The Department of Health and Social Care must continue to do these important things as the new system takes shape. But amid shortages in the workforce, patchy and unsustainable funding and a system in which too few ICBs are commissioning high quality children’s palliative care which meets national standards, seriously ill children need the centre to do much more, not less.
“Time is short for these families; they need action now, and this NHS restructure needs to help solve these vital issues as soon as possible.”
