ellenor Welcomes New NHS Funding Boost For Children’s Hospices
New multi-year NHS funding offers reassurance for children and families across North Kent and Bexley.
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ellenor, which provides specialist hospice care for babies, children and young people across North Kent and Bexley, has welcomed the Government’s new £80 million multi-year NHS funding commitment – describing it as a vital step towards greater stability after years of short-term grants.
The £26 million-a-year settlement, announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, will be distributed through local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) on behalf of NHS England and adjusted for inflation. It forms part of a national move to give children’s hospices greater financial certainty, helping them continue to support seriously ill children and their families.
Mary Kirk, ellenor’s interim Director of Care and Quality said: “This announcement brings real hope and reassurance for the children and families we care for across North Kent and Bexley. It recognises the vital role children’s hospices play in providing specialist care, comfort and stability when families need it most. While local allocations are yet to be confirmed, this national commitment offers greater confidence in the future of children’s hospice care and the support it provides to families who rely on it.”
For too long, children’s hospices have had to plan year to year, never knowing if essential NHS funding would continue. This multi-year commitment gives us the confidence to plan ahead – protecting the highly skilled nursing, play therapy and emotional support our families depend on.
It’s a very welcome step towards a more sustainable future for children’s hospice care, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with our NHS partners to ensure this funding reaches the children and families who need it most.”
Local allocations have yet to be confirmed, but ellenor expects to benefit from the national settlement and will continue to work closely with NHS Kent and Medway and South East London ICBs to ensure the funding reaches the children and families who need it most.
Across the UK, around 99,000 children are living with life-limiting conditions such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, and brain or spinal injuries – a figure that has tripled in the past 20 years. Children’s hospices provide vital clinical care, respite, and wrap-around support for these children and their families.
This new commitment builds on the Government’s previous £100 million investment in hospices – described by the Department of Health and Social Care as “the largest in a generation.” Allocations for individual hospices covering 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be published in due course by NHS England.
