‘Postcode lottery’ for children in need of respite care

Terminally ill children in need of respite care are sometimes subject to apostcode lottery when it comes to accessing the service, a report reveals.

Frances Fitzgerald, the children’s minister, has called for the HSE to set up regional groups to identify which parts of the countryare poorly resourced.

“Under our 2010 national policy on palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions, respite care is recognised as an essential element of a comprehensive palliative care service,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

The minister has urged that recommendations in the report be implemented.

She said it “sets out very clear steps that need to be taken in developing a responsive, child friendly, and flexible respite service for children with life-limiting conditions”.

The report found that access to respite care often depends on where the childlives and their diagnosis.

It estimated about €7.6m is needed every year to care for about 812 children.

There are approximately 1,400 children in Ireland with a terminal condition and about 350 such children are likely to die each year.

Children’s Hospice LauraLynn and the Irish Hospice Foundation jointly fundedthe study. The report suggested that the National Development Committee for Children’s Palliative Care develop a set of national standards for respite services and consider developing a way to assess patients’ needs for such care.

It also recommended the establishment of regional groups to map existing localservices, to identify family needs to plan for future provision. It also called for another assessment of needs to be carried out in 2017.