Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure the provision of children's hospice services in London in the light of the planned closure of Richard House on 18 December; and what plans they have to prevent that closure.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including children’s hospices, also play in providing support to seriously children at end of life and their loved ones.

I recognise that the closure of Richard House Children’s Hospice will be a worrying time for the parents, carers, and children who use the services at Richard House, as well as for the staff and volunteers.

I am heartened to hear that Haven House Children’s Hospice will be welcoming children and families currently supported by Richard House Children’s Hospice, with support from the North East London Integrated Care Board.

More widely, we have been supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. This amounts to approximately £2.8 million for children’s hospices in London.

Furthermore, children and young people’s hospices have received £26 million in revenue funding for 2025/26. This amounts to approximately £5.65 million for children’s hospices in London. I am delighted that earlier this autumn we were able to confirm the continuation of this funding for children and young people’s hospices for the next three financial years. This amounts to approximately £80 million over that period.

We also recently announced that the Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in our 10-Year Health Plan.

We want to consider, as part of the MSF, contracting and commissioning arrangements, in line with our shift to strategic commissioning. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

I refer the noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement HLWS1086, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.