'SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN WILL PAY THE PRICE

Reeves' national insurance hike to cost hospices extra £5m a year

- Jan Disley

THE crippling national insurance rises imposed by Rachel Reeves will cost children's hospices an additional £5million a year, research shows.

Without urgent action to make up the funding gap, services for families may be cut.

Ryan Pannel, whose son Theo,pictured, died from a rare genetic condition at five and a half months, is urging MPs to "do the right thing" and exempt hospices from the increase.

Campaigners from Together for Short Lives surveyed 20 of the 35 children's hospice organacross isations England. It estimates that the increase in employers' NI contributions announced by the Chancellor in her autumn Budget will translate into nearly £140,000 extra per hospice slapped on staff costs next year.

In total the bills for providing the vital care are set to soar by £4.9million. The charity wants hospice funding coming from NHS England to be increased from the current level of £25million to help cope with soaring costs.

Nick Carroll, the charity's chief executive, said: "Rachel Reeves' decision to increase employer national insurance contributions at the Budget is ramping up the financial strain on children's hospices at a time when they are already grappling with significant funding challenges.