Across the country, thousands of families caring for seriously ill children and young people face the harsh realities of a postcode lottery when it comes to accessing high-quality children’s palliative care. Workforce shortages, significant funding gaps, and a lack of accountability among integrated care boards (ICBs) mean many children and families are unable to access the care they need, when and where they need it.
Whilst prevention is rightly a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, the needs of seriously ill children and young people – whose conditions are rarely caused by preventable factors – must not be overlooked.
The NHS 10-Year Plan offers a vital opportunity to address these issues and transform the future of children’s palliative care.
What we have called for
Together for Short Lives has submitted a response to the consultation, outlining targeted policy changes that will ensure every child and young person with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition can access the care they need, wherever they live.
To address the systemic barriers preventing access to care, we are calling for the Plan to include the following actions:
1. Close the £2.4 million funding gap in in GRID and SPIN training for paediatric consultants and address shortfalls in other workforces including NHS community children’s nurses.
2. Return the £25 million for children’s hospices to being a centrally-distributed, ringfenced grant and increase it to reflect rising costs and the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.
3. Hold integrated care boards to greater account for implementing existing policy frameworks relating to children’s palliative care. This would include requiring ICBs to complete an Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care self-assessment and to report on progress annually.
4. Review the way in which children’s palliative care is planned and funded, including:
- Whether children’s palliative care would be more effectively commissioned at a national or regional level to create economies of scale.
- How the £295 million annual gap in NHS spending on children’s palliative care can be filled.
- How NHS and voluntary sector providers in England, including children’s hospices, can be funded equitably and sustainably for the long-term.
5. Optimise the way in which the current children’s palliative care workforce is used and ensure professionals from different roles have the skills and experience to care for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
A vital opportunity
The NHS 10-Year Plan presents a pivotal moment for the Government to act. By addressing workforce shortages, funding gaps, and systemic disparities, the NHS can create a future where every seriously ill child and their family receives the care they need, when and where they need it.
Read our full response to the consultation here.