Naomi House and Jacksplace, the region’s hospice for children and young adults, has recently welcomed the announcement that NHS England is increasing the vital children’s hospice grant from £11m to £25m.

The much-needed increase in funding forms part of NHS England’s long-term plan, and follows a campaign spearheaded by the UK children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives, with significant support from Naomi House and Jacksplace.

Together for Short Lives’ #fundnotfail campaign, launched in summer 2018, called on the government to increase the children’s hospice grant to £25m, provide parity of statutory funding between children’s and adult hospices and introduce a children’s palliative care strategy.

Staff at Naomi House and Jacksplace have been working with MPs and ministers from across central southern England to highlight the need for increased funding and to illustrate the growing complexity of children’s hospice care.

This included a Parliamentary Reception, hosted by MP Steve Brine, minister at the department of health and social care, where ministers and MPs heard from families that had received care at the hospice, as well as the charity’s staff, trustees and patron Alastair Stewart.

Additionally, minister for State for Care Caroline Dinenage MP visited the hospices and spent time with children and families staying in the charity’s ground-breaking Long Term Ventilation Unit.

As part of the NHS plan, additional funding will be available each year for the next five years, increasing by up to £7m a year by 2023/24, if clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) also provide additional match funding.

Mark Smith, chief executive of the hospice, said: "This is welcome news for Naomi House and Jacksplace and the wider children's hospice sector in England.

"Naomi House and Jackplace are caring for more children and young adults than ever before, and those we care for are increasingly medically complex.

"In addition, we are developing new and innovative services that enable us to reach more families in need of support.

"We would like to thank the numerous MPs and government ministers who have visited Naomi House and Jacksplace or attended parliamentary reception this year. I am confident they will have been willing champions of his funding increase."