A MUM who has spent more than £3,000 taking her 13-year-old son for cancer treatments says more needs to be done to reduce the financial struggles of families travelling to hospital.

Sarah Masters and her family, who live in Minehead, have run up the bill travelling to and from Musgrove Park Hospital after son Duncan was diagnosed with leukaemia in January.

Now, they are backing a campaign by charity CLIC Sargent after new research showed children with cancer are travelling twice as far, and families spending twice as much, getting to and from hospital than adults.

The charity believes families with children or young people with cancer face an average trip of 60 miles to get to hospital for treatment, adding up to at least £180 a month in fuel.

CLIC Sargent is urging the Government to set up a young cancer patient travel fund to help thousands of families.

Duncan was 13 when he was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in January, after he started feeling tired and lethargic over the Christmas period.

After initially being diagnosed with a chest infection, Duncan started to notice bruising appearing all over his body, and a purple rash on his feet. Following further trips to the GP and additional tests, on January 15, doctors confirmed Duncan had leukaemia.

He was transferred in an ambulance to Bristol Children’s Hospital where he spent 10 days receiving his initial treatment. The family had to make a 120-mile round trip from their home in Minehead to Bristol, before Duncan started receiving shared care in Taunton, a 50-mile round trip from the family’s home.

Dedicated mum Sarah says the family now rely heavily on their car, as their remote location puts them out of reach of public transport.

She said: “When the doctor told me ‘Your son has leukaemia’ it was like an axe to the heart, and it felt like someone else was being told.

“Financially it has been a struggle for us, having not long moved house, and with no savings to fall back on. We have had to service our car, replace our car battery and get breakdown cover as we live really remotely and our car is a lifeline to get to and from hospital as we can’t use public transport.”

Since Duncan’s diagnosis, CLIC Sargent estimates that across six months, and with more than 60 trips to hospital in Taunton, the family have travelled more than 3,000 miles and spent more than £3,000 on travel and parking.

CLIC Sargent says the nature of childhood cancer can leave some families needing specialist treatment, which is only available in certain locations across the UK. The charity says one family is currently travelling more than 800 miles to get to the specialist treatment centre.

Miss Masters said having access to a government grant would take the financial pressure off.

She added: “A cancer diagnosis effects the whole family financially and emotionally.

“Having to take time off work to look after your child with cancer means that every penny counts to make sure you can make that journey to the hospital.

“Having access to a travel fund would ease up money in other areas and would allow for my other children to carry on as normally as possible, even just being able to go on school trips or outings with their friends- we wouldn’t have to sacrifice or worry about where every penny’s going.”

Kate Lee, CEO at CLIC Sargent, said: “Being told that your child has cancer is one of the most horrendous situations that any parent can imagine. No parent should ever have to worry about not having enough money to take their child to hospital for cancer treatment. The current Government travel cost scheme is not fit for purpose and available to too few families. The NHS’ provision of universal healthcare is free at the point of entry yet, in reality families are footing the bill for it.

“On top of what can be years of treatment, countless back and forth to the hospital, there is the constant worry and need to have enough petrol in the tank and make sure the car is roadworthy so the family know they can make it to hospital whenever they need to.

“We know that cancer costs and families are really struggling financially, leaving families counting pennies, relying on charity grants, borrowing money from family and friends, wiping out savings or facing being plunged into debt. This is not good enough.

CLIC Sargent has started a petition urging government to set up the grant. To sign or for more information visit clicsargent.org.uk/ccam.