A study in Wales among over 130 families with children, who have life-limiting conditions, reports that they “urgently need more access to respite care”. The report found paediatric palliative care “needs to be improved”, with almost three-quarters of families saying they faced barriers when it came to accessing support. Better access and more money for the only 2 hospices in Wales by the Welsh Government are recommended. Financial support by ‘national governments’ varies.
In Scotland, children’s hospices get more than half of their funding from the Scottish government, those in Northern Ireland get 44%, while hospices in England get 21% of their income from the public purse. Funding is also negatively affected by the pandemic Covid19.
(Source: BBC News 17 November 2020)