Sheila Brown, OBE, Chief Executive of Newlife the charity for disabled children:

“I commend Together for Short Lives for speaking out on how local health services are failing in their obligations to provide round the clock palliative care for life limited children.  Once again it falls to a charity to step up and challenge statutory services.  Children are being starved of the support AND equipment they need on a daily basis.   Newlife is the largest UK charity providing specialist equipment to disabled and terminally ill children.  Our Emergency Loan service provides specialist equipment so a child doesn’t have to endure unnecessary pain or is in danger.  But it’s just a short-term fix – the entire system needs to change!

Dedicated professionals on the front line do their best, but too often they tell us their hands are tied.  Without Newlife many of the children in need would simply go without.  And the situation is getting worse – the UK has more disabled and terminally ill children now than ever before who suffer avoidable pain and worsening conditions when they can’t get the right equipment at the right time.”

To support Newlife and help change or save a child’s life visit www.newlifecharity.co.uk

The full report from Together for Short Lives is available here