Acorns hospice campaigners ask MPs in Westminster to back future hospice funding

Liz Bishop, whose daughter Lily-Mai received care at Acorns, joined the charity’s CEO Trevor Johnson to ask MPs from all parties to back Children’s Care Matters – an urgent campaign calling on the Government to safeguard the £25 million NHS England Children’s Hospice Grant.

Uncertainty around the future of the Grant, worth £2 million to Acorns every year, means the charity, and children’s hospices nationwide are faced with difficult decisions about making cuts to the services that countless children and families need.

Liz, 45, returned to London after last month delivering a petition of over 10,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street as part of the campaign. At the meeting, held at Portcullis House, she called on MPs to continue highlighting the funding issue in Parliament on behalf of families like hers who rely on children’s hospices.

She said: “It was fantastic to be back in Westminster again today and share my story about how Acorns provided amazing care for my daughter Lily-Mai and our whole family. The response from MPs has been really positive and it’s wonderful to know they will continue to raise this important issue in Parliament.

“To think there could be families like ours in the future who will miss out on vital care is really worrying. I hope the Government listens to our campaign and does something urgently to make sure Acorns, and every children’s hospice is protected.”

Children’s Care Matters was launched in July in response to the uncertain future of the NHS England Children’s Hospice Grant. Uncertainty around future funding comes as demand for end-of-life care provided to families like Liz’s at Acorns has grown by 47% in the past year.

Commenting on today’s meeting in Westminster, Acorns Chief Executive Trevor Johnson, said: “We are very encouraged by the response today from MPs and extremely grateful for their time and commitment to understanding the importance of this funding issue for children’s hospices.

“Every day that passes without a positive announcement from the Government our concern for the most vulnerable in our community grows. And that’s why we will continue campaigning and work together with our supporters to ensure that no child or family who need vital care is ever turned away.”

In the past year, Acorns has cared for more than 750 children in its Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester hospices, and supported almost 1,000 families, including those who are bereaved.

To find out more about the Children’s Care Matters campaign and how you can get involved, visit: www.acorns.org.uk/campaign