More hospice and palliative care services are urgently needed for children in Ireland, LauraLynn has said.

LauraLynn is the only dedicated children's hospice in the State. It provides palliative care and support to children with life-limiting conditions. An estimated 4,000 children in Ireland are currently living with such conditions, while around 1,800 have active palliative care requirements.

Some 350 children die in Ireland every year as a result of a life-limiting condition.

However, according to LauraLynn CEO, Sharon Morrow, ‘too few children and families who require palliative care can currently access hospice services'.

"As a result, they often rely on emergency and acute support because the hospice care services are not available in their area," she explained.

The aim of a children's hospice is to focus on how a child can live with their condition, while providing support for their wider family who can be under major emotional, physical and financial pressure.

"Time is short for these families. LauraLynn is therefore calling on all political parties to commit to increase the provision of children's hospice care by ensuring that there is fair and sustainable funding for children's palliative care, and better national access to hospice care for all affected families," Ms Morrow said.

She made her comments to coincide with Children's Hospice Week, which runs until May 29. For more information on this event, click here

For more general information on LauraLynn, click here