Future of children’s palliative care

That this House notes with concern the findings of the report entitled Built to Last? The State of Children’s Palliative Care in 2025, published by Together for Short Lives; recognises that the report reveals a stark postcode lottery in access to high-quality palliative care for seriously ill children across England, particularly in relation to 24/7 end-of-life care at home; expresses alarm that only 19% of Integrated Care Boards currently commission this service on a formal basis; acknowledges that this disparity is driven by workforce shortages, a lack of accountability among NHS bodies and councils and a significant funding shortfall projected to rise to £310 million by 2025-26; welcomes the vital services provided by organisations such as Shooting Star Children’s Hospices in Surrey Heartlands and surrounding areas; and calls on the Government to urgently implement the recommendations of the report by reviewing the funding and planning of children’s palliative care, investing in paediatric nursing bursaries and specialist consultant training, holding Integrated Care Boards and local authorities to account for delivering on existing policy, and committing to a sustainable, long-term funding model for children’s hospices, including the continuation of ringfenced, centrally distributed funding beyond 2025-26.