University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is proud to join an ongoing initiative launched by Sophie’s Legacy and NHS England, aimed at providing meals for parents staying in hospitals with their children – ensuring that parents’ basic needs are met during a challenging time.

Following the success of an initial pilot at nine hospitals in 2023, 15 more hospitals, including the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital, have joined the programme.

Sophie Fairall had just turned nine when she was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2020. During her treatment, she endured nine rounds of intense chemotherapy and seven weeks of radiotherapy. Sophie never managed to get into remission and in June 2021, after only eight weeks on a programme of maintenance chemotherapy, she relapsed. With no treatment options left Sophie passed away aged ten, in September 2021, just one year after her diagnosis.

Sophie’s Legacy was created in memorial of Sophie and the legacy of change she wanted to create – including for parents to be fed when staying with their child.

Access to nutritious food and drink is a fundamental necessity for parents navigating the stress of having a child in the hospital. Often, children don’t want their parents to leave their bedside, which results in them not being able to eat. By providing them with food, the Trust hopes to take the worry of making time to eat or paying for hospital food each day away from parents. This will not only ensure that parents get the nutrition they need to care for their sick child, but it will also enable them to actively participate in their child’s care and make informed decisions alongside medical professionals. This empowerment is expected to translate into better outcomes for children and a more positive hospital experience for families.

Funded by Sophie’s Legacy, each hospital will receive £5,000 to support the provision of at least two meals per day for parents over a twelve-week period. The project will see parents at the Trust provided with various methods to access meals, including offering meals from the hospital menu to eat on the ward.

Charlotte Fairall, CEO of Sophie’s Legacy, said: “I am pleased we have managed to get this project launched. The impact this will have on thousands of families across the 15 hospitals will be huge. No parent should have to go hungry when they are in hospitals with their child, and we are doing all we can to change this.”

David Sanderson, Director of Estates and Facilities added “We’re thrilled to be part of Sophie’s Legacy and expect to launch it in our two main hospitals in Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster. Having a sick child in hospital is a terrifying experience for all parents. Understandably, they want to spend every possible moment with their child in hospital, which can mean they neglect their own basic needs.”

“Being able to provide them with something as simple as a meal will hopefully have a huge impact on their experience and take some pressure off them at what is already a difficult time. Sophie’s Legacy will help us provide more support for parents, resulting in better outcomes for everyone; and we are incredibly grateful to them and NHS England for giving us the opportunity to put Sophie’s wishes into action in our hospitals.”

Sophie’s Legacy is a registered charity. For more information, please visit www.sophieslegacy.co.uk.