Calls for travel fund for young cancer patients

Victoria Jones helped deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street

A young cancer patient said she considered stopping her treatment because of the costs of travelling to hospital.

Victoria Jones, 23, faced hundreds of pounds in ferry fares journeying between the Isle of Wight and Southampton after being diagnosed with lymphoma.

The Young Lives v Cancer charity handed a petition into 10 Downing Street calling for a young person's travel fund to be set up.

Ms Jones said travel costs were an "extra burden" on those undergoing cancer treatment.

Research conducted by the charity found young people and families of children with cancer spend an average of £250 a month on travel costs.

These include petrol, congestion charges, public transport and taxis, while travelling an average of 350 miles a month to hospital.

Ms Jones, who was diagnosed at the age of 21, had to travel from her home on the Isle of Wight to hospital in Southampton for chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment over eight months.

With cross-Solent vehicle ferry tickets costing up to £200 for a return, she faced mounting bills and had to move out of her flat.

Victoria Jones (left) received support for her ferry travel after Young Lives v Cancer's Kate Wheeler intervened

Ms Jones said: "It was really, really difficult to find that money on top of my other financial responsibilities - I'd skip meals and gave up my flat to be able to afford to travel to my life-saving treatment."

She was eventually offered free travel on Red Funnel ferries, negotiated by Kate Wheeler who was her Young Lives v Cancer social worker.

"It was a huge relief. I'd considered giving up my treatment with the stress of it. Its not right that charities are picking up the slack," Ms Jones said.

"It's supporting young people ultimately to stay alive. They shouldn't be having to go through this extra burden when its already so difficult.

"You watch your life go down the drain, your career, your body fall apart and your finances not being in order - it's too much stress."

Currently hospital patients on low incomes can receive support through the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS).

Ms Jones helped hand in a petition with 11,000 signatures calling for a fund to be set up to enable all young people with cancer and their families to get better financial support to help with the cost of travelling to treatment.

Ms Wheeler said: "I've never known anything like the financial crisis at the moment.

"Its just ridiculous, people are choosing whether to eat or to go to hospital for their chemotherapy because they can't afford it with all their other bills - it's terrifying."