Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support parents looking after ill children (a) in the long-term and (b) immediately after diagnosis.

We are committed to supporting people with long term conditions and to ensuring that they receive the support they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition, and their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The Department is taking a range of practical steps to support parents caring for ill children. Immediately after diagnosis and in the longer term, parents may be eligible for travel cost support through the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. In cases where a child has complex health needs, they can be assessed under the Children’s Continuing Care framework to determine appropriate ongoing support. Wider work is underway, such as the development of initiatives to support parents in hospital settings. Counselling and mental health support are typically provided through local services, and peer support is often offered by voluntary organisations.

As per Section 97 (3b) of the Children’s and Families Act 2014, parent carers have the right to request an assessment of their need for support from the local authority. Having been assessed, Section 17 (10b) of the Children’s Acts 1989 makes provision for a child whose physical or mental health is impaired, as well as his or her family, to receive the appropriate support services from the local authority.