Families of young cancer patients who have been left hundreds of pounds out of pocket on petrol costs, train fares and parking fees will now receive money towards travel expenses from the government.
On average, families spend approximately £250 a month trekking to the hospital to see their poorly child, which has caused some to cut back on necessities, like food and heating, to cover the cost.
However, it has now been announced that the NHS will set aside £10 million each year to recompense these families for travel costs.
About 4,000 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK, with many facing long trips to 13 specialist centres across the country.
The money will be made available to all children, teenagers and adults under the age of 25 undergoing treatment, regardless of their family income.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘When a child is diagnosed with cancer, their family’s only focus should be on helping them recover and getting them well, not on whether they can afford the petrol or bus fare to get to their next appointment.
‘Our plan will leave no family out of pocket while their child goes through cancer. It doesn’t matter what you earn if your child needs treatment; we will help you get them there.
‘When a child is fighting cancer, their family should never have to fight the system too.’
Emma Wilding experienced first-hand the financial hardships of cancer treatment when her son Theo was diagnosed with Infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in October 2024, when he was only five months old.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital is 45 minutes from their home, meaning the family was forced to spend hundreds of pounds on petrol and parking costs.
She said: ‘When Theo was going through treatment, we had no choice but to pay out for fuel and parking at the hospital, as we had to be by his side.
‘However, at a time when our household income had gone down, this was a struggle financially.
‘Sat on the ward, I met so many other families also struggling with these costs, many travelling much further away from hospital as well.’
Victoria Ward, from the Isle of Wight, was diagnosed with Lymphoma at 21 and had to travel via ferry for treatment at Southampton General Hospital.
The return ferry ticket alone could cost anywhere between £80 and £200 at peak times, alongside a taxi to the hospital. The costs forced her to give up her flat.
Miss Ward said: If I was having my chemo in the morning and my clinic was 8 am during rush hour, a taxi could be anywhere from £12 to £15 just to go up the road.
‘The parking alone would cost us £20 to £23 a go. As much as people say “it’s only £20”, that £20 is my week’s food.
‘It was a case of I either keep my own safe space or die. I was previously homeless a year or so before I started my cancer treatment, so my flat was my achievement, so it was sad giving that up, but it had to be done.’
Would it not be a more suitable system to start by rescinding the exorbitant fees that NHS car parks charge to patients and families? Is it just me who thinks charging for parking at hospitals is morally wrong?
All maladies that need hospital treatment are a financial grind, especially the life-threatening ones. Yes, the taxpayer may have to pay for it, and they may constantly complain about it, but they must keep in mind that one day they may find themselves in the same situation—grovelling off the taxpayer.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 