Thousands of families need help with hospital visit costs
Over 3,000 families needed emergency grants to cover the costs of hospital visits and appointments last year, according to new figures from the Family Fund.
The charity, which provides grants to families on low incomes with disabled or seriously ill children, published the figures after MPs called for the scrapping of hospital parking charges on Monday during a passionate debate in the Commons, with one MP calling it “a tax on NHS treatment”.
Many families face unexpected costs with urgent hospital care and visits, which can be extremely stressful. The Family Fund supports measures to help ease the burden on families on low incomes with disabled or seriously ill children. Last year, it made over 3,300 grants totalling over £888,000 to families, to help with hospital and appointment costs.
One of these was to the family of Grace from Ayr, whose mum Lisa couldn’t believe the upheaval in her life. Lisa had been told at her 20-week scan that Grace would be born with Spina Bifida and would never walk.
“Grace was in hospital for two months and the cost of a 70 mile round trip was quite a financial burden. The Family Fund was my saviour, I made an application and within 48 hours the Fund helped me with the cost. I don’t know how I would have afforded to be with Grace at that urgent time.”
Family Fund Chief Executive Cheryl Ward said “We are all too aware of the financial costs some families face. Since 2010, the number of families we have helped per year has grown from 55,000 to over 68,000, and we know there are more out there who need our support. We welcome any steps the government can take to help reduce the day-to-day costs of caring for a disabled or seriously ill child.”
Although new guidelines were published by the Department of Health last month, which recommended that relatives of people who were seriously ill or faced a prolonged stay in hospital should be given free parking or reduced charges, hospitals set their own parking policies and are under no obligation to follow the guidelines.
Research by Robert Halfon MP, who has been leading the campaign against hospital charges, showed big differences in the cost of parking across the country, with a day’s parking at a hospital in London costing up to £20. He said “If hospitals do not follow these guidelines we should scrap the hospital charges completely.”
Jackie Doyle-Price MP, opening the Commons debate, said that driving to hospital was not a choice for many people owing to a lack of public transport and said "Can I put it simply - hospital car parking charges are a tax on NHS treatment."
David Wright MP added "I think we ought to try and commit as a House to pushing the Government and the Opposition as well to making a commitment in the medium to long-term to the abolition of parking charges at hospitals."
Notes to editors
- The Family Fund is the country’s largest grant-giving charity and has over forty years of helping families with disabled children. It helps ease the additional pressures faced by low-income families raising a disabled child by giving them grants for a wide range of goods and services, including washing machines, dryers, fridges, clothing, bedding, sensory toys, computers, much- needed family breaks and more. Across the UK last year, the Fund supported 66,937 families with £33 million in grants.
- Family Fund works hard to ensure that all funding received reaches as many families as possible across the UK. Last year, more than 93 pence in every £1 received went to a family in grants and services.
- Family Fund grant applications can be downloaded from the Family Fund website www.familyfund.org.uk. Families can contact Family Fund using the online contact form or by telephoning: 01904 621115.
All press enquiries, contact Jim Paterson on 01904 571 0942 or email comms@familyfund.org.uk
Jim Paterson, Communications Manager
Family Fund, 4 Alpha Court, Monks Cross Drive, Huntington, York, YO32 9WN
Tel: 01904 571094 email: comms@familyfund.org.uk
The Family Fund is the country’s largest grant-giving charity and has over forty years of helping families with disabled children. It helps ease the additional pressures faced by low-income families raising a disabled child by giving them grants for a wide range of goods and services, including washing machines, dryers, fridges, clothing, bedding, sensory toys, computers, much- needed family breaks and more. Across the UK last year, the Fund supported 66,937 families with £33 million in grants.
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