Martin recently attended the Westminster gathering of Bliss, a charity to support babies born too soon, too small, or too sick.
Bliss aims to raise concerns about the potentially crippling financial costs to parents of premature and sick babies.
The charity's campaign was launched with the release of their report, It’s not a game: the very real costs of having a premature or sick baby, which is based on a survey of over 1300 parents and 178 hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales. The report found that:
- Parents of a baby admitted to neonatal care face extra costs amounting to £2,256 during their baby’s stay in hospital, averaging £282 per week.
- Costs such as paying for food and drinks averaged £53 a week, while parents faced travel costs including petrol and parking averaging over £100 per week.
- Three quarters of parents reported that their household finances were worsened, while one in five couldn’t afford to pay bills such as their rent or mortgage.
- Alongside the financial burden is the cost to parents' health, with almost two thirds of parents reporting that their mental health had worsened as a result of the extra pressure.
Martin commented: “One in nine babies in Cleethorpes is admitted to specialist hospital care each year. I am delighted to support Bliss to ensure all babies born premature and sick and their families get the vital support they need. I’m delighted to support Bliss’ campaign to help families concentrate on their baby instead of worrying about their finances.”