Call for more funding for Hope House's sister hospices
Hope House Children's Hospice 's Welsh sister hospices, Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith, are calling on the Welsh Government to establish a new ring-fenced Lifeline Fund to support, sustain and extend their work in the future.
They say there is a disparity in the money given to children's hospices in Welsh compared to other parted of the UK.
It is estimated that there are around 3600 children in Wales living with a life-limiting condition. Approximately 800 of these children have ongoing palliative care needs which require contact with hospital services, only about half of whom currently access respite at children’s hospices. A recently commissioned incidence and prevalence study will, the hospices say, give more up-to-date figures about the number of children with palliative care needs, and it is
expected this figure will rise significantly.
A spokesman said: "A new Lifeline Fund is urgently needed to deliver additional nights of care at children’s hospices for children with life-limiting conditions in Wales. This will ensure that families are supported in the way they value the most – as highlighted in the recent Family Voices report, jointly commissioned by Tŷ Hafan and Tŷ Gobaith. Another important report by Pro Bono Economics has highlighted the huge positive impact additional respite care has on
families, and in turn on other stretched services such as mental health teams."
Children’s hospices in Scotland receive half their funding from the state; in England it is 21 per cent, in Northern Ireland it is 25 per cent. The Republic of Ireland recently announced it would fund 30per cent of running costs for their children’s hospices. In Wales, the comparable figure is less than 10 per cent.
