The move follows last week's launch of guidelines on the commissioning of children's palliative care services (Children Now, 30 November-6 December).

Lizzie Chambers, chief executive of the Association for Children with Life-threatening or Terminal Conditions and Their Families, said the new model implied that most medical support would be provided and commissioned at regional level.

But she said that local community teams provided 90 per cent of care and it was essential to maintain this to ensure children received support close to home.