Families offered free accommodation when travelling for hospital care in Birmingham
University Hospitals Birmingham Charity partners with Airbnb.org to ease accommodation costs
Last updated 15 hours ago
University Hospitals Birmingham Charity has joined a programme to provide free city accommodation for families whose loved ones are receiving treatment far from home.
The initiative is part of a £1 million partnership funded by Airbnb.org and is designed to alleviate the financial burden of lodging for patients and families who travel for medical care.
Charlotte Schofield, Director of Fundraising at University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, highlighted the challenges faced by families needing to stay close to hospitals.
“For a lot of our patients, they will have come from sometimes all over the country, so may have had to travel two or three hours," she said.
"So, for families, if they're having to come over long periods of time, not only is this quite stressful because they're not close to their loved one when they want to be, but actually it means that they're having to consider how much it's going to cost."
She explained how they already provide nine 'home away from home's for patients' families, but these are constantly full. Therefore, the Airbnb partnership allows them to support more patients without having to turn families away.
Jess Dudley, from Herefordshire, had to travel to Birmingham Children's Hospital when her new-born son Finley became poorly.
"It's really important to recognise that when a baby is seriously ill, parents don't know how long they might need to be away from their home and accommodation costs can quickly add up, particularly when families are already dealing with the emotional pressures of having a baby or child that is seriously ill," Jess said.
She said the new accommodation is a "massive step" in allowing families to focus on their loved ones in times of crisis, rather than worrying about financial costs.
The charitable initiative comes as many families have been reported to incur costs averaging £1,240 annually for private accommodations related to medical needs, with some dipping into savings or relying on credit cards.
Charlotte Schofield noted the programme has already had an immediate impact on families, and the response has been "fantastic."
Ms Schofield expressed her gratitude for the support from Airbnb.org, mentioning that the campaign couldn't have come at a better time.