Bereaved parent urges Government to boost support for Dorset Children's Hospice
Parents joined Julia's House in a visit to Westminster this week
Last updated 19th Apr 2024
A bereaved parent has warned that the NHS could be overwhelmed without services like Julia's House Children's Hospice in Dorset.
The charity was joined by parents as it visited Government on Wednesday, demanding more is done to support critical care for children outside of the NHS.
Julia's House say they're facing deficits of £1.5million this year, with Hospices across the country also close to breaking point.
Lisa Hover, who lives in West Hampshire, told Greatest Hits Radio that without services like Julia's House, the pressure on the NHS will be ramped up:
"If the services are stopped from Julia's house because of the lack of funding, the burden is going to fall on the doorstep of the other services that are already under pressure."
Mrs Hover said the meeting, which included officials from the treasury, was a step in the right direction.
"We definitely got the conversation started and we have been assured that further conversations are going to happen and we are hoping to have a meeting to see if they're going to follow up on their actions," she said.
How Julia's House supported Lisa and her family
Julia's House supported Mrs Hover and her family through the care and loss of her 18-year-old daughter Annabelle in January this year.
Annabelle had Batten Disease.
Mrs Hover told us the help they received has allowed the family, which includes Aiden, 19, Georgie, 12, and Robbie, 11, to remain strong.
She was able to spend time with her children and her husband, meaning they could be a couple.
"The support that we got when Annabelle passed away was really, really good," she said, adding: "We had no other support coming in. We were given leaflets at the hospital, but the support that Julia's house have given to us, it's just been absolutely amazing."
Mrs Hover explained that they've had the same Nurse at Julia's House since they joined in 2018 - whilst a revolving door as seen three social workers come and go.
It's mean the nurse has become a part of their family.
She said: "When you're dealing with the most heart-breaking circumstances, you've got that person that, that support there from someone you know and who you've built a relationship with."