Coronavirus: Acorns Children's Hospice offers centre for treatment

A children's hospice is temporarily closing one of its branches so it can be used for coronavirus treatment.

Acorn's Childrens Hospice runs centres in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester.

The charity has offered its Birmingham hospice to the NHS as a facility for coronavirus patients as it is close to acute trusts in the city.

It will also make its Walsall centre available to children with complex medical needs receiving hospital treatment to free up more NHS beds.

Staff from Acorns' Birmingham hospice will be redeployed to its other centres.

The charity said the majority of the 600 or so families it is currently supporting are self-isolating at home "in very difficult conditions".

It has pledged to continue its emotional and practical support to those children and families.

Chief executive, Toby Porter, said: "These plans will allow us to continue to prioritise children's hospice care for the most vulnerable children and families, whilst directly or indirectly supporting the wider emergency response of our NHS and social care system, by increasing intensive care bed capacity in our hospitals."

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