Oxford children's hospice boss fears for future funding

Helen & Douglas House said it needs long-term funding to keep supporting children and families

The world's first children's hospice has said it is worried about its future funding.

Helen & Douglas House in Oxford said it feared having to limit the service it could offer, with the current NHS funding arrangement ending in 2025.

The cost of living crisis means supporters are currently facing soaring energy bills and the hospice is finding it harder to attract donations.

The NHS said discussions for funding arrangements beyond 2025 were ongoing.

Local families have described the hospice, which opened in 1982, as a "lifeline" and have praised its "brilliant care you wouldn't have got anywhere else".

Clare Periton, CEO of Helen & Douglas House, said the hospice was passionate about helping families but funding stability is needed

In a statement, the hospice said NHS England had confirmed support to the children's hospice sector will be available in 2024/25 at an equivalent level to 2023/24.

Clare Periton, CEO of Helen & Douglas House, said her charity was "passionate about being there with families for making memories".

"We really want to keep a dialogue with this government but it is unknown what happens if there is another government or a switch of government," Ms Periton said.

Andy Fletcher, CEO of the charity Together for Short Lives, said the national grant from NHS England was "very important" for children's hospices.

He said: "Locally our data from the last 12 months suggests that funding from local NHS commissioners has fallen by about a quarter.

"The national grant represents about 15% of what children hospices receive.

"It's really important to have a long-term funding solution from the government that enables children hospices to plan effectively for the future because their services rely heavily on high quality skilled staff."

An NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS committed to a five-year funding programme for Children's Hospices as part of the NHS Long Term Plan in 2019 and discussion is currently ongoing with the government and the hospice sector to finalise arrangements beyond the 2024/25 financial year."

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