There is mounting evidence that children's health services are beingbadly hit by the NHS cash crisis.
Budgets are being slashed to pay off debts and thousands of job cutshave been announced in hospitals and health trusts. Experts saychildren's health is affected across the board from neonatal care toadolescent mental health, in hospitals and the community.
Big funding cuts are being reported to the National Children's Bureau'says chief executive Paul Ennals. One cash-strapped primary care trust(PCT) in north London is threatening to slash 260,000 from childand adolescent mental health, he says, while a West Midlands PCT maychop 3m from children's services.
The Department of Health denies there's a nationwide funding crisis, yetit has frozen many funding commitments. Ennals says some palliative careservices for seriously ill children have yet to hear about funding forthis year. And the department has been silent on its grants scheme forthe voluntary sector. "There are pro-jects across the country stillwaiting for news," adds Ennals.
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