ACT - The Association for Children's Palliative Care

ACT has welcomed the Audit Review of Palliative Care in Scotland and is encouraged to see that some information about children’s palliative care services had been included, however is disappointed that its primary focus had been on adult palliative care. Information about two of Scotland’s hospices for children, run by CHAS (Children’s Hospice Association Scotland) were included, however the diverse range of non-hospice based services were not audited or included and the Review process has failed to acknowledge the gaps in services for children, young people and their families.

ACT hopes that the forthcoming National Action Plan for Scotland, due to be published by the Scottish Government, in October 2008, will provide an opportunity to redress this imbalance, and a forum to highlight the urgent need for appropriate services for children, young people and their families.  ACT will be working with the Scottish Children’s Palliative Care Network to influence the plan; lobbying to raise awareness of the needs of life-limited children, to highlight the differences between children’s and adult services, and to raise awareness of the need to plan for those young people who need to make the transition from children’s to adult services.  

Lizzie Chambers, Chief Executive of ACT said: “The new Action Plan for Scotland is a real opportunity to move children’s palliative care to the top of agenda, and develop a national strategy for children and young people with life-liming conditions and their families.  We must ensure that these children in Scotland have the same opportunities, support, and policy framework as those life-limited children who live in Wales, England and Northern Ireland.”