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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Plan to boost dying children care | Plan to boost dying children care |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ministers are promising services for dying children in England will be transformed by the first-ever palliative care strategy. | Ministers are promising services for dying children in England will be transformed by the first-ever palliative care strategy. |
| The plans comes after a critical inquiry last year which said children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses were being let down. | The plans comes after a critical inquiry last year which said children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses were being let down. |
| The government has called on councils and the NHS to work together to improve and expand services. | The government has called on councils and the NHS to work together to improve and expand services. |
| Ministers want to see families given access to 24-hour community teams. | Ministers want to see families given access to 24-hour community teams. |
| There is much to do and we must not fail the families who live with these challenging situations every day of their lives Ivan Lewis, care services minister | There is much to do and we must not fail the families who live with these challenging situations every day of their lives Ivan Lewis, care services minister |
| The government has also announced the hospice sector will be getting £10m a year funding for two years from 2009. | The government has also announced the hospice sector will be getting £10m a year funding for two years from 2009. |
| This represents a £1m rise on the £9m they are currently getting. | This represents a £1m rise on the £9m they are currently getting. |
| Most hospice palliative care services are provided by charities, which get about a fifth of their funding from government with the rest coming from donations. | Most hospice palliative care services are provided by charities, which get about a fifth of their funding from government with the rest coming from donations. |
| Charities believe the success of the strategy will rest on good relationships developing with local NHS trusts and councils. | Charities believe the success of the strategy will rest on good relationships developing with local NHS trusts and councils. |
| There are more than 20,000 children and young people in the country requiring specialist care because of either life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, or life-limiting degenerative disorders. | There are more than 20,000 children and young people in the country requiring specialist care because of either life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, or life-limiting degenerative disorders. |
| Support | Support |
| Palliative care for children, as for adults, is either carried out at home with the support of community nurses, in hospices or in hospital | Palliative care for children, as for adults, is either carried out at home with the support of community nurses, in hospices or in hospital |
| An inquiry last year, commissioned by the government and produced by experts in the field, found that parents were left frustrated and exhausted by the current "patchy" system. | An inquiry last year, commissioned by the government and produced by experts in the field, found that parents were left frustrated and exhausted by the current "patchy" system. |
| It said families of terminally-ill children have to fight for support and often fall through the gap between social services and the NHS. | It said families of terminally-ill children have to fight for support and often fall through the gap between social services and the NHS. |
| The government's strategy aims to address these problems by encouraging the NHS, councils and voluntary sector to develop networks to improve the co-ordination of services. | The government's strategy aims to address these problems by encouraging the NHS, councils and voluntary sector to develop networks to improve the co-ordination of services. |
| It said parents should be given a choice of where their children are cared for and an expansion of community teams, of nurses and palliative care specialists, was needed in particular. | It said parents should be given a choice of where their children are cared for and an expansion of community teams, of nurses and palliative care specialists, was needed in particular. |
| The strategy said families should have 24-hours access to the teams, which are essential in allowing parents to keep their children at home. | The strategy said families should have 24-hours access to the teams, which are essential in allowing parents to keep their children at home. |
| Care services minister Ivan Lewis said: "Everything is in place for us to start transforming these vital services. | Care services minister Ivan Lewis said: "Everything is in place for us to start transforming these vital services. |
| "There is much to do and we must not fail the families who live with these challenging situations every day of their lives." | "There is much to do and we must not fail the families who live with these challenging situations every day of their lives." |
| Barbara Gelb, chief executive of the Association of Children's Hospices, said the strategy was "tremendous news". | Barbara Gelb, chief executive of the Association of Children's Hospices, said the strategy was "tremendous news". |
| "The £20m funding gives children's hospice services a further two years' breathing space to engage with local health and social care commissioners to gain secure, long-term funding." | "The £20m funding gives children's hospice services a further two years' breathing space to engage with local health and social care commissioners to gain secure, long-term funding." |
| Lizzie Chambers, chief executive of the Association for Children's Palliative Care, whose members include community nursing teams and palliative care specialists, said: "The strategy will test whether an NHS under local control works for children with huge needs but a small voice. | |
| "We understand the government has given new money for community nursing, although we don't know how much. | |
| "Now that the days of central targets are over, we will have to work hard to get local health services across the country to spend this cash properly." | |
| Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien said: "Of course this block grant is better than nothing. | Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien said: "Of course this block grant is better than nothing. |
| "But why will the government not commit to sustainable ongoing funding beyond 2011? There must be a better way than making the children's hospice movement beg at every funding round." | "But why will the government not commit to sustainable ongoing funding beyond 2011? There must be a better way than making the children's hospice movement beg at every funding round." |
| Lib Dem health spokesman Greg Mulholland said: "Palliative care services cannot survive on paltry and sporadic government handouts." | Lib Dem health spokesman Greg Mulholland said: "Palliative care services cannot survive on paltry and sporadic government handouts." |