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Children's Hospices

Answer

Primary care trusts (PCTs), working with their local authority partners and stakeholders, remain best placed to decide the level and range of palliative care needed by the children and young people in their locality and are able to respond directly to their needs. We have made a manifesto pledge to increase funding for end of life care and this includes care for children and young people. We will make further announcements on this funding in the near future.In our guide ““Commissioning Children's and Young People's Palliative Care Services””, launched on 29 November, we give commissioners important advice about the key aspects of children's palliative care which will improve the quality of commissioning and provision of services. This practical guide will stimulate improvements in commissioning and promote quality care for children young people and their families in a range of settings, for example, palliative care at home, in hospital or in a hospice.On 19 October 2005, we announced the setting up of a review of National Health Service Specialised Services. The review, headed by Scotland's former Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir David Carter, will investigate how the NHS currently commissions specialised services and consider ways of tightening these commissioning arrangements so that there is greater consistency across the NHS.The review will also look at ways of ensuring PCTs work together to commission specialised services so that the financial risk is shared. It will consider whether the balance is right between PCT commissioning collaboration and a more national or regional commissioning approach. The review team will report in spring 2006.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

441 c112-3W; 30392

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Children Palliative care

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk