Huddersfield MP Harpreet Uppal is hosting a meeting with fellow West Yorkshire MPs and the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice over the funding crisis facing the hospice movement.

Ms Uppal says the support of the Huddersfield-based Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice is “critical” to families across West Yorkshire.

The hospice provides vital care for babies and children with life-shortening conditions, offering services that extend far beyond medical care.

Forget Me Not offers a wide range of services starting from pregnancy, including exceptional nursing care, hydrotherapy, creative therapy, days out, memory making, end-of-life care and bereavement support for the whole family.

This year, Forget Me Not needs to raise £6 million to continue running the hospice, with only a small percentage coming from government and NHS funding, and the rest being generated through fundraising within the local community.

The meeting will explore how MPs can work together to raise awareness of the important issues facing the sector and better understand the impacts these challenges may have on the services hospice charities provide.

Ms Uppal said: “For families facing the unimaginable challenge of losing a child, Forget Me Not not only provides clinical care but also emotional and practical support, making every moment count.

“This meeting in Parliament is an important step in ensuring they receive the resources and awareness they need to continue making a vital difference across communities in both Huddersfield and West Yorkshire.”

Forget Me Not’s CEO Gareth Pierce said: “Funding for children’s hospices is at a critical point. 10% of our funding comes from the National Children’s Hospice Grant but the continuation of this grant is not guaranteed.

“We’re looking forward to meeting with local MPs to discuss the negative impact that losing this funding would have on our services and, of course, on the children and families across West Yorkshire that we exist to support.”

 

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