Acorns Children’s Hospice is in a battle for extra NHS funding to help it care for more than 600 sick children across the West Midlands.

The charity is locked in negotiations with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) from across the West Midlands to increase funding support by 10 per cent over the next financial year. It costs around £7.5million to run Acorns each year. It follows a crisis appeal for more than £1m launched last year by the hospice to secure its future and safeguard the care of hundreds of children.

The organisation has struggled to maintain financial support throughout the recession, even axing jobs to save cash.

Acorns chief executive David Strudley said: “Through partnership working, Acorns will forge closer ties with the NHS and other statutory bodies so assisting in securing a more robust financial support, through activity based contracts, to a level of at least 30 per cent of our care services by 2009/10, following the Government’s long-term funding review.”

It costs £4,500 per day to run each of Acorns’ three children’s hospices in Walstead Road, Walsall, Oak Tree Lane, Selly Oak and Bath Road, Worcester.

The charity continues to rely on donations for the majority of its income but expects to achieve its aim of securing 30 per cent funding through statutory sources over the next 18 months through partnerships with PCTs. It currently only receives 20 per cent of its funding from statutory sources.

But the charity has not revealed today exactly what sum of extra funding it is hoping for.

Mr Strudley said: “Our hope for increased funding is always in the future and depends on whatever our costs are at the time.

“Acorns is looking to negotiate with the PCTs to help with ongoing sustainable funding, and as we grow and help more children and families in need so will our costs change.”

The charity celebrated its 21st anniversary last year and has also teamed up with Premier League team Aston Villa for sponsorship.