Date published: 03 July 2025 by Sophie Wichman
Speaking today, Zillah Bingley, Chief Executive, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, about Fit for the Future: 10-Year Health Plan for England, said:
“Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity welcomes the ambition in the new plan for the NHS to shift care closer to home, invest in prevention, and personalise support. For families with a child who has a life-threatening or terminal illness, these shifts cannot come soon enough.
“We welcome the drive to move care into communities through Neighbourhood Health Centres, which could help more families access care including palliative care closer to home. But families need more than just bricks and mortar – they need wrap-around support to face the challenges of caring for a seriously sick child. Many families won’t live near a Centre and must still be able to access vital high-quality palliative care wherever they are.
“To make this plan a reality, it’s crucial that the NHS works in partnership with voluntary sector organisations like Rainbow Trust. We have been delivering social palliative care for nearly 40 years: the practical, emotional and holistic support that helps families navigate serious illness alongside clinical care.
“Our work saves the NHS money, prevents crisis and reduces avoidable pressure on the NHS – yet is too often overlooked in planning and commissioning. We stand ready to work in partnership.
“We welcome the focus on prevention and early support. For families with a child with a life threatening or terminal illness, this shift is essential. Social palliative care helps prevent crisis by supporting families early – easing emotional strain, helping parents stay in work, and reducing avoidable hospital use. Prevention for seriously ill children must include constant care that keeps the whole family stable.
“The plan’s recognition of the role of family hubs, schools and colleges in offering timely support is welcome - this must work for children with complex and life-threatening conditions too – and must include working jointly with expert voluntary partners like Rainbow Trust to provide this kind of early, holistic, preventative support.
“The plan mentions end-of-life care but fails to recognise the wider palliative care needs of children. It frames palliative care narrowly around death and dying - but for children with a life-threatening or terminal illness, palliative care is often provided over many years, alongside active treatment. Unless children’s palliative care is explicitly included in delivery plans, it risks remaining invisible - and families will continue to fall through the cracks.
“To truly deliver on its promise of prevention and personalised care, the NHS must ensure that families of seriously ill children are seen, supported, and properly included in every part of this plan.”
