ACT has named Rosa Monckton as its new Ambassador for Children’s Palliative Care.  

Rosa Monckton, as the charity’s new Ambassador, will play a key role in helping ACT champion their aim to ensure that all children and young people with life-limiting conditions receive the best possible quality of life and care.  Rosa will be supporting ACT to raise awareness of these children and their family’s needs, and to campaign for better policies to support them and realistic funding so every child can have the services and care that they deserve.

Over 25,000 children or young people in the UK are unlikely to reach adulthood due to a complex health condition.  Half of these children will have substantial palliative care needs and over 5,000 will die every year .  

Rosa’s commitment to helping children and young people whose lives are shortened by a heath condition is longstanding, a commitment which was shared and strengthened through Rosa’s close personal friendship with Diana, Princess of Wales.

Rosa has played a pivotal role in the creation of the Diana Nursing Teams that care for life-limited children, which were set up in memorial to Diana when she died in 1997. At that time Rosa was asked to join the Government Memorial Committee, chaired by Gordon Brown, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to think of ways to commemorate Diana’s life.

Talking about the Diana Nursing Teams Rosa Monckton said:  “One of the ways that we chose as a fitting legacy to Diana was developing the Diana Nursing Teams, to bring children’s palliative care into the community.  The idea was to support and care for children with complex health needs and life-limiting conditions in their own homes, and to cut down on their endless stays in hospital.” 

Rosa Monckton said: “When ACT first asked me to become an Ambassador I was humbled, and delighted.  Delighted because it is an obvious place for me to sit.  I have an interest in all children’s palliative care, and ACT is the only UK umbrella organisation for all of these vulnerable children. I will be proud to see my name on the letterhead of such a wonderful organisation, but I want to be much more than just a name.  I want to do my utmost to ensure that these vulnerable children and their families receive the best possible care, and that they are never forgotten.  I promise that whatever I can do, I will.”

Welcoming Rosa to ACT as their first Ambassador, Lizzie Chambers, Chief Executive of ACT said:

“We know Rosa is the right person to support our work and have witnessed her energy and total commitment to making a real difference to the children and families we work with. She is a true champion for our work and we are delighted that Rosa has agreed to be our first Ambassador for Children’s Palliative Care.

Rosa’s campaign to protect the Diana Nursing Teams is crucial – these nurses make such a difference to children and families.  We have been glad to support this work and have just accompanied Rosa to a meeting with Sue Nye, Downing Street Director of Government Relations at No 10, and Government Special Advisor to Health, Greg Beales to talk about this vital service.”