Going on Holiday

Going on holiday may feel like a difficult decision if your child has complex medical needs. This page has a few resources which might be useful when thinking about taking some time away from home. 

Things to think about 

Accessible accommodation for families 

Activity holidays for families 

The Newlife charity has put together a Happy Holidays Guide, with helpful information and things to think about when planning a holiday, such as specialist equipment, medical considerations and hints and tips. It can be downloaded here: https://newlifecharity.co.uk/information-booklets/  

There are a number of holiday specialists with details of accessible accommodation all over the world. Each of these websites allows you to search for a particular destination, or to browse using the drop-down menus at the top of the pages: 

If you are looking for accessible holidays in England, Scotland or Wales, there are a few other options listed in this table along with details of free holidays which are available to families with children with disabilities.

If you are looking for more active family holidays which cater for children with disabilities, there are a few different centres which offer accessible activities. More information is available here. 

Holidays for children with complex health needs

There are a number of camps and holidays for children with complex health needs, some of which are open to family members as well. These camps offer differing levels of medical support and accessible activities. Please click here for more information.  

Respite breaks for carers

There are a couple of charities offering funded respite breaks at particular locations for carers to take some time off from caring. More information can be found here.

Getting insurance

Unique have issued a guide to travel insurance which includes suggestions of insurance companies who may be able to help. The booklet is available to download here: https://rarechromo.org/guide/travel-insurance/  

SkyBadger has a page with more information about getting travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, with links to insurance comparison websites. For more information, please visit this site: https://skybadger.co.uk/2017/01/14/getting-holiday-insurance/  

They also have a few insurance companies listed in their directory who may be able to help: https://skybadger.co.uk/directory/?category=holidays-free-time#holiday-insurance  

Accessing medical care

It is important to research options for medical care before travelling. One way to do this is to visit the UK Government website which has information about different countries’ healthcare systems and where to locate English-speaking facilities. The link to this page is: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice  

If your child needs oxygen, there is a useful page on the Cancer Research UK website explaining how to arrange delivery of oxygen to other places in the UK: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/breathing-problems/treatment/having-oxygen-on-holiday  

Charities providing grants for holidays

There are a number of grant-making charities who can support families with the cost of arranging holidays. More information about these is available in the Grants and Funding Guide here: https://www.soft.org.uk/grants-and-funding