Northern Ireland Hospice Care

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McGimpsey announces new funding for children with complex healthcare needs ] Tuesday, 13 May 2008

McGimpsey announces new funding for children with complex healthcare needs

The Minister for Health has announced £150,000 funding to ensure that children who have complex health-care needs can be cared for in their own homes. Speaking as he launched a report which covers this area of specialist care, the Minister also announced that from April 2008, he would also be providing £200,000 per year for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice to develop out-reach nursing services.

Michael McGimpsey said: “Children who are born with congenital problems or who develop other problems as a result of a neurological condition or cancer or following an accident, need access to the best available care. And where possible, those children should be cared for in their own homes.”

“This can be a difficult situation for the entire family. Having a child with complex needs or needing access to palliative care can have a major impact on family life. Access to up-to-date equipment, information, and services is important as is continuing support.”

NOTES

1. In November 2006 the Chief Nursing Officer (DHSSPS) commissioned the University of Ulster to carry out a review on how nursing services could be facilitated to support and respond to children with complex physical healthcare needs. The Report (Complex Needs: The Nursing Response to Children and Young People with Complex Physical Healthcare Needs) and announcement of funding was made during a seminar to disseminate the findings to an audience comprising those who took part in the research, including the parents of children with complex physical needs, representation from the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and professionals from Health and Social Care.

2. The Report identified six areas for development:

● Children are best cared for at home and within families;

● The ordinary needs of children and families have to be met as well as their special needs;

● Parents know the child better than anyone else and need to be treated respectfully by professionals as equal partners given the expertise they have in the care of their child;

● Professional supports must be co-ordinated and responsive to the needs of individual children and families;

● Risks to the child’s life need to be managed in ways that provide safety and a good quality of life to the child and family;

● Partnership working across disciplines and agencies is essential.

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