By Rob Byrne

Cash to help care for terminally ill children and their families in their hour of need should be doubled, a charity boss claims.

Ryan Campbell, chief executive of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, is appealing to Kent MPs to take up the fight for more investment.

The Bobbing-based charity's main government funding comes from the Children’s Hospice Grant, which is worth £11 million and shared among 38 children’s hospices.

Following the Prime Minister's announcement of a £20bn increase in overall NHS funding, Mr Campbell wants the grant to rise to £25m annually.

Chief executive Ryan Campbell said: “Demelza provides palliative care for over 750 life-limited and life-threatened babies, children and young people in the South East and supports their families.

"We know there are more who need our help and that the number of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions is increasing."

Mr Campbell also highlighted that funding for services has not kept pace with demand for children's palliative care.

“The grant has grown incrementally from £8.8m in 2006/07 but it has not kept pace with the growing costs of providing specialist care.

“I am keen that some of the additional NHS funding recently announced by the Prime Minister is used to recognise the growing demand for care and support that Demelza Hospice Care for Children provides.

“Our MPs have been very supportive since we raised this issue with them, for which we are very grateful.”

Demelza has a children’s hospice in Sittingbourne.

A total of £770,000 from the Children’s Hospice Grant is allocated to Demelza's hospices across Kent, South East London and East Sussex.

Sir Roger Gale, MP for Thanet, has contacted the NHS Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss funding locally, and has described Demelza as providing “excellent palliative and end of life care for some of my young constituents”.