Leeds doctor reveals what children’s hospices are really like
Every year, Martin House Children’s Hospice supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions.
A leading children’s hospice doctor is challenging one of the biggest misconceptions about hospice care for Children’s Hospice Week 2026.
Describing Martin House Children’s Hospice in Boston Spa as “a place of animal visits, pantomimes, bubbles and slime, Xboxes and Uno”, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michelle Hills explained that many people wrongly believe hospices are only places where children go to die, when in reality, most hospice care is about helping families make precious memories together.
Every year, Martin House supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and around 200 bereaved family members across West, North and East Yorkshire.
Children’s Hospice Week (June 15-22) is organised by Together for Short Lives, and this year’s theme is “Join us on a journey to precious moments”. Dr Hills, a specialist consultant in paediatric palliative medicine and author of the upcoming book ‘The Wrong Order of Things’, said the theme perfectly reflects what children’s hospices are truly about.
Dr Hills said: “People often think children’s hospices are only about death, but the reality is very different. Yes, all the children referred to Martin House have complex medical conditions, and sadly many are expected to die young, but the vast majority of hospice time is about living - about joy, laughter, comfort and making happy memories together.”
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Martin House recently completed a £21.9m redevelopment project, transforming the hospice to include a new hydrotherapy room, an immersive sensory room, a recording studio, enhanced clinical spaces, and a new Education Centre.
The project is designed to safeguard the future of children’s palliative care across Yorkshire, allowing children and their families the opportunity to take part in activities such as baking cakes, recording and playing music, watching films, exploring sensory spaces, and relaxing in the gardens.
Dr Hills said: “Children paint giant pictures, feel sand running through their fingers and experience things they may never otherwise get the opportunity to do. Families often describe it as a family holiday with medical support when needed.”
Some children stay at Martin House simply for short breaks and symptom management, helping them return home feeling more comfortable and able to enjoy everyday life.
Dr Hills emphasises the importance of “making moments count”. She said: “Hospices are most definitely about living and about children being children. Some do come to the hospice because they are dying, but it is just one part of what we do.
“Even then, we still focus on making moments count - reading stories, arranging special visits, supporting siblings to play and helping families spend precious time together.
“End of life may have one end, but hospices make sure we focus on the powerful, beautiful life that comes first - however long that life may be.”
Find out more about the children’s hospice and how you can support its work at Martin House.