A new £10 million-a-year government fund is expected to ease the travel costs that many families in England face when accessing specialist cancer care for children and young people. 

The Department of Health and Social Care said the fund will help cover travel expenses for families who make long, frequent journeys for treatment, sometimes several times a week.

Long Distances for Specialist Care

Families often travel more than an hour to reach one of 13 specialist children’s cancer centres in England. The burden of travel can extend treatment days and add to already significant pressures.

Petrol, train fares, and lost earnings can add hundreds of pounds to monthly costs, families and campaigners say. Some have reported choosing between travel and essentials such as heating or food.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said families’ focus should remain on care and recovery, rather than on travel costs. He acknowledged that while some families can absorb such costs, others are already under pressure from the wider cost-of-living squeeze.

‘No Family Out of Pocket’

The travel fund will be open to all children and young people with cancer and their families, regardless of income. It will not be means-tested.

The government has said the fund is part of the NHS National Cancer Plan for children and young people, which also includes measures on earlier diagnosis, access to clinical trials, genomic testing, and psychosocial support.

Families and Campaigners Respond

Campaigners welcomed the move but said the issue has persisted for years.

Rachel Kirby-Rider, chief executive of Young Lives vs Cancer, said the charity’s Running on Empty campaign found that 71% of families struggled to meet travel costs, and 1 in 10 had missed or delayed treatment because they could not afford to travel. 

"Up until now, young people and families have been going into debt and even missing treatment because of the extra £250 every month just to travel to hospital," she said.

The package also includes support to improve access to child-friendly food in hospitals and to expand mental health, education, and emotional services for young patients.

The NHS, with support from the charity Starlight, plans to expand play provision through the Play Well toolkit for children with long hospital stays.

Childhood Cancer in England

About 1900 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer in England each year.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, cancer affects about 1 in 420 boys and 1 in 490 girls up to age 15. Among 15- to 24-year-olds, the incidence is about 1 in 360 males and 1 in 380 females.

Common cancers in younger children include leukaemia, brain and spinal tumours, and lymphoma. In older teens and young adults, lymphoma, germ cell tumours, and skin cancer are most frequent.

The travel fund will cover patients up to age 24.

Dr Sheena Meredith is an established medical writer, editor, and consultant in healthcare communications, with extensive experience writing for medical professionals and the general public. She is qualified in medicine and in law and medical ethics.