A hospice dedicated to caring for children with intricate life-limiting illnesses, Richard House, is set to close just days before Christmas after providing support for 25 years.
Located in Newham, east London, Richard House has been instrumental in assisting over 300 families by offering essential services, including residential care, transitions from hospital to home, bereavement counseling, and end-of-life support.
NHS North East London has announced that the decision to shutter the facility will take effect on December 18.
While Richard House has not yet responded to requests for a statement, an earlier message posted on their website—and subsequently taken down—indicated that the decision resulted from “a thorough strategic review conducted by the board of trustees.”
The statement further noted that “the possibility of merging with another children’s hospice had been considered, but ultimately proved unfeasible.”
Among those impacted by this closure are Kareema and her 15-year-old son Jayden, who has benefitted from the hospice’s services for nearly a decade. Jayden suffers from Lowe syndrome, a rare life-limiting condition affecting only a limited number of people in the UK.
Kareema, who lives in Tower Hamlets, mentioned that families were informed at the end of November about a temporary pause in services but were “never led to believe it would completely cease.”
She expressed that the “trustees have been tasked with an incredibly challenging job,” but the announcement of the closure came as a surprise to the entire community.
Kareema discovered the closure when another parent noticed a sign at the Richmond House Upminster charity shop, which is also closing.
“This is a sensitive and delicate issue to manage, but I believe that transparency and honesty would have been greatly valued,” she remarked.
“We now have to navigate our daily lives, worrying about all the logistical aspects.”
Emma, another mother who uses the service, shared the impact on her son, Alexander, aged six, who has short bowel syndrome and relies on life support every night.
“He is really upset right now because this place feels like his sanctuary,” she explained.
An online petition advocating for the hospice’s continued operation has already collected over 1,340 signatures.
A representative from NHS North East London stated that the trustees had informed them that “the challenges facing the hospice are simply insurmountable.”
They emphasized that efforts are underway to ensure that families and children affected by the closure can receive the necessary care through Haven House Hospice or alternative sources.
“This is undoubtedly a heartbreaking and challenging period for everyone who has relied on Richard House’s services throughout the years, as well as for the staff,” the spokesperson added.
“We remain committed to supporting them and will collaborate closely with Haven House to establish plans for the short, medium, and long term to ensure continued support for the children and families.”
Richard House had previously cited the cumulative effects of the cost-of-living crisis, the pandemic, and rising inflation as detrimental to their fundraising initiatives.
Currently, less than one-third of the hospice’s funding is sourced from the NHS, with the remainder obtained through charitable contributions.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care remarked that the current government has made the “largest investment” in hospices in a generation—£100 million—to enhance hospice facilities.
They also noted a commitment to provide £80 million in revenue funding for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three years.
