Potential lifeline for Acorns Hospice via NHS funding
Cash-strapped Acorns could have been offered a lifeline after NHS England confirmed plans to increase funding to children’s hospices.
It is a significant development for the charity, which has proposed closing its hospice in Walsall amid rising costs and a fall in donations.
Acorns chief executive Toby Porter has welcomed the announcement that £25 million of NHS funding will be ring-fenced to support children’s hospices by 2023/24, increasing annually from this year’s baseline of £12m.
The funding will come directly from NHS England and will no longer rely on match funding from clinical commissioning groups.
Not clear how much Acorns will receive
Mr Porter said it was not yet clear how much extra funding would be available for Acorns and the charity will now be investigating what other cash might be available to plug the gap in its finances.
"This is a welcome recognition of the critical role of children’s hospices in the lives of the families they support, and of the increasing financial challenges facing many hospices.
"It is our understanding that this new funding will take five years to reach its maximum level, and it is not yet clear how much extra funding Acorns will receive as a result of this, and when.
"We will now actively explore with local NHS commissioners, local authorities, as well as with actual and potential supporters in the community, to see if we can find the additional income we need.
"Nothing is more important to us than being able to continue to provide care to the children and families that need us in Walsall and the Black Country. We will continue to keep families and the local Walsall community closely informed," he added.
Will money be enough?
The decision has also been welcomed by Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden, who was among a group of cross-party MPs that called on health secretary Matt Hancock to step in to help children’s hospices.
He said: “This is good news and reflects the strong cross-party support shown for Acorns Hospice in Walsall since the closure announcement a few weeks ago.
"This is an absolutely vital service for families throughout the Black Country and we have to do all we can to keep it open.
"On its own this announcement may not be enough to stop the closure but it does provide a clearer picture of what the future funding arrangements would be if we can stabilise the situation over the next year or two.
"It is really essential now that every local agency that can help the Walsall Hospice stay open does its part until this future funding from the Children’s Hospice Fund comes on stream.”
Acorns had pledged to continue offering support to the 230 families who could be affected from its sites in Worcester and Birmingham if the Walsall hospice closes.
Around 70 jobs are at risk of redundancy and a consultation with staff was coming to an end today.
The funding package follows a campaign by children’s palliative care charity, Together for Short Lives.
Chief executive Andy Fletcher said: “This is a really welcome commitment to invest in children’s hospices at a crucial time. We know that the number of children with life-limiting conditions is growing and the care and support they need is increasingly complex.
"With this complexity comes greater cost and I am pleased that NHS England has listened to concerns raised around a growing funding gap.”
