MP FAILS TO FIND ANSWER ON CHILDREN'S HOSPICE

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 2nd May 2003

Sue Doughty, MP for Guildford challenged the government to find the cash to fund the nursing costs of children at the end of their lives.

In a hard hitting speech she told the Health Minister, David Lammy that the government's plans to provide support to Children's hospices do not work. She asked "How can I explain to all those people who raised £2m for Christopher's last year that the government is not prepared to fund the health care of dying children?"

Although the government has said that primary care trusts should support hospices, the reality is that none of the 25 PCTs in the area covered by Christopher's does. Sue Doughty called the debate to highlight the fact that when a child leaves a national health hospital, to stay at Christopher's for the last time, all NHS funding stops.

After the debate she said: "It is clear that the government has no idea what is going on here. Children's Hospices should be receiving free nursing care. This fight is not over and I will be seeking a further meeting with the minister, together with the representatives of Children's Hospices to fight for justice. We do not expect total funding, but it is time that the government did the decent thing."