Bradley Thomas

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) for securing the debate and telling his moving story. I know that all hon. Members will be united in our support for hospices across the country. I rise in particular to speak in support of Acorns, a children’s hospice that serves the wider Worcestershire, as well as the wider west midlands region and is headquartered in my constituency. Established in 1988, Acorns Children’s Hospice has delivered the essential care that hundreds of local children have needed for the past 36 years. Without it, many families would have been left with nowhere else to turn. When the unimaginable happens and a child receives a devastating diagnosis, Acorns children’s hospice has always been there to help. It provides lifelong supportive care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across the west midlands and Gloucester from three hospices—in Birmingham, Worcester and Walsall—as well as in the community and in family homes. It helps children and families to fill the time they have together with love, fun and laughter and to create lasting memories, and provides tailored care to meet each child’s individual medical, emotional, cultural, religious and spiritual needs. I put on record my thanks to all the staff and volunteers at Acorns for their compassionate dedication to the care they provide. More families than ever need our vital children’s hospice care, and that number is expected to continue to grow. However, for the first time in its history, Acorns is facing the prospect of turning away a child in need. The children’s hospice grant has existed since 2007 and aims to provide some of the funding required for children’s hospices across England. In 2019, NHS England increased the children’s hospice grant to £25 million per year for 2023-24 and ringfenced that money specifically for children’s hospices. However, that funding is no longer certain under the current Government. I therefore join Acorns Children’s Hospice in urging the Minister to protect and maintain the children’s hospice grant as a directly distributed ringfenced grant, so that Acorns and every children’s hospice in England can continue to provide the care that children and families desperately need. To give Acorns and local families the assurances they need, the Government must also guarantee the children’s hospice grant for at least five years and increase it by at least the rate of inflation each year. Guaranteeing this core funding will allow Acorns and hospices across the country to continue to be there for every child and family who need their vital support.