WellChild publishes new Impact Report highlighting life-changing support for seriously ill children
WellChild, the national charity for seriously ill children, has released its 2024/25 Impact Report, revealing the powerful difference that investment in a skilled children’s complex care workforce is making for families across the UK.
The report showcases how WellChild’s specialist nurses, family training, information and support networks, and home and garden transformation projects are helping children and young people with complex medical needs to thrive safely at home – improving outcomes while easing pressure on overstretched NHS services.
Key achievements from the 2024/25 Impact Report include:
-
53 WellChild Nurses in post across the UK
-
6,722 parents, carers and professionals trained, increasing skills and confidence
-
573 children supported home from hospital, reducing inpatient demand
-
16,000 avoidable hospital readmissions prevented, protecting NHS capacity
-
3,635 families connected through the Family Tree network
-
£625,000 in financial support unlocked for families in hardship
-
1.8 million visits to WellChild information platforms
-
17 accessible gardens created, supporting 468 children with safe outdoor space
-
350+ corporate volunteers mobilised through Helping Hands projects
-
752 people supported through family events and free tickets
In his foreword, WellChild Patron Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, praises both the resilience of families and the continued impact of the charity:
In the face of immense pressure on health and social care services, WellChild continues to provide a lifeline: advocating, innovating, and ensuring that seriously ill children can be safely cared for at home and in their communities, wherever possible.
WellChild Chief Executive Matt James emphasises the growing need for skilled support:
Our Impact Report shows how a skilled workforce can transform children’s lives and protect NHS capacity. We urgently need a national strategy to develop complex care skills in a sustainable way, so every child with complex medical needs can thrive at home and in their communities.
Looking ahead to 2025–26, WellChild will continue to expand specialist nursing, Better At Home training, emotional and practical family support, home and garden projects, and digital inclusion work to strengthen family resilience.
