Families of ill children need help with hospital travel costs

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 00:27 · Archive

A charity is urging the government to expand its travel support scheme beyond children with cancer to help families with seriously ill children reach specialist appointments.

The government is preparing to launch a £10million annual fund to help cover travel expenses for children with cancer, but the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity is urging ministers to extend the scheme to cover children with other serious conditions.

Laurie Grimwade, from Plymouth, has spent £12,350 travelling to and from hospital appointments for her 12-year-old son Woody, who has a rare autoimmune disease called adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency. Woody underwent a bone marrow transplant at the hospital in 2022 and will remain under its care until he turns 18. Ms Grimwade estimates the total cost will reach around £15,000 by then. She explained that the financial burden extends beyond travel costs, as the family has needed extra childcare and has sometimes lost earnings to make the journeys.

Louise Parkes, chief executive of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, welcomed the government's £10million commitment but said families of children with other rare, complex and life-threatening conditions face the same financial pressure. The charity contends that no parent should be worried about affording train fares or petrol to reach specialist care for their seriously ill child.

How it is being reported

• Families with seriously ill children should be helped with hospital travel costs - charity saysThe government is preparing to launch a £10million annual fund to help cover travel costs for children with cancer but experts at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) Charity are urging ministers to extend the schemeThe Mirror · 14 Oct, 00:04
• ‘We’ve spent £12K taking our seriously ill son to appointments, a travel fund would make a huge difference’Families should not be ‘worrying about whether they can afford the train fare or petrol to get their child to specialist care’, experts saidThe Independent · 14 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Great Ormond Street Hospital · Laurie Grimwade · Woody Grimwade · Plymouth · Louise Parkes

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