The Government has released its new framework and extra funding to improve local services for children, young people and their families living with life limiting and life threatening conditions.
‘Better Care: Better Lives’ is designed to give healthcare commissioners the information and guidance they need to ensure that services are developed in a strategic and planned way to meet the needs of all children, young people and their families living with life limiting conditions.
Graham Leggatt-Chidgey, Chief Executive of Butterwick Hospice Care is delighted that the Department of Health has today published Better Care: Better Lives.
Mr Leggatt-Chidgey said: “This is the first occasion on which the Department of Health has had a clear policy on how it will work with healthcare providers, including the Hospice movement, to improve outcomes and experiences for children, young people and their families living with life limiting and life threatening conditions.
“For years the care for such families has lacked strategic direction and funding. I applaud and support the Minister’s wish to see major changes within 18 months and we look forward to working with the NHS locally and regionally to ensure that the opportunities are maximised for the 80 children currently in our care, and their successors.”
Children’s Hospices nationally will still rely heavily on the communities they support to continue their work. The £20 million announced for children’s hospice services in England to 2011 builds on the three-year emergency funding announced in 2006. In May 2006 £27 million funding was granted to be shared over three years by the country’s 40 children’s hospices.
For Butterwick House Children’s Hospice this equated to a fund of £175,000 per year for three years to 2009. The cost this year for Butterwick to provide services to the children and families in its care will be upwards of £880,000. So much support and good will from the communities the Hospice serves is still very much needed.
The new funding to 2011 will mean that the fund will carry on for a further two years beyond 2009 which is very welcome news. Within that time frame Butterwick House will work closely with the NHS to ensure that the services provided by Butterwick to the children in its care remain the best they can be.
