Children’s hospice funding

I visited Acorns Children’s Hospice on Friday with Selly Oak MP Al Carns.

Acorns provides a vital and compassionate service for families across south Birmingham. It is important that local MPs work together to support our hospices.

About a third of hospice funding comes the public purse, which is partly in recognition of the the role that hospices play in supporting the NHS.

The Children’s Hospice Grant was scrapped before the election. Back in July, I called on the new Labour Government to bring back the Children’s Hospice Grant. Earlier this month, Acorns warned that the lack of certainty could force them to turn children away.

It is really welcome that £26 million has now been committed by the Government for next year - with £100 million extra for buildings and equipment at hospices that serve people of all ages.

We heard about the good use that the money will be put to. Hospices still need long-term financial security which I will continue to argue for.

This was followed by a meeting about community services in Allens Cross, and a busy constituency surgery.