When your child is sick or injured, the emotional impact is hard enough to deal with. But the financial burden can also prove crushing.
While we’re fortunate to have the National Health Service in the UK, parents can still be stung by hidden hospital costs - including food and drink from the on-site eateries, emergency essentials, and mounting parking fees.
This reality has resonated with some parents over the last few years. As Mumsnet user LoveBluey pointed out on our forums back in 2023, “[...] It's often really hard to leave children alone on the ward and if admitted in an emergency parents may not have been able to bring food with them. Not to mention anyone who is in the unfortunate position of having regular hospital visits will soon find the costs of parking and food mounting up as well as potentially missing work.
“It's so important to look after the parents who in turn provide valuable care to their children when nursing staff are stretched to the limit.”
Emma, another parent, has experienced this firsthand. She shared with Mumsnet that a five-day hospital stay with her son, who was treated for croup two years ago, left her with a sizable bill. She was fortunate enough to have support from MetLife UK, but many parents aren’t aware of the financial protection that exists for situations like these.
What are the hidden costs of a hospital stay?
While the NHS may cover the cost for treatments, surgeries and medication for children in the UK, hospital stays can still cause a financial toll on parents and families.
In January 2025, new research found that staff, patients, and visitors of hospitals had forked out a shocking £1.15 billion in car parking charges since 2018/2019. And even if you don’t choose to drive, you may have to pay hefty train or bus fares to visit.
While food may be provided in hospitals for patients, family members and loved ones are usually forced to feed themselves from the on-site eateries and shops. Plus, the hospital food on offer may not be able to cater to every patient’s dietary needs.
Costs may add up over the smallest things, too, as myreason25 shared back in 2023: “I have a DC who spends months at a time in a hospital cubicle. She spends less than 40 percent of her time at school. For years, to watch the movies on the telly it’s been £6.50-ish a day but the Wi-Fi was free.
“This year they have started charging £5.50 a day for Wi-Fi. Using data isn’t an option as the signal is not the best at all. To access her school classes/Zoom/to see her friends at school, access to Google Classroom is now costing us £5.50 a day.
“Parking is £10 a day. Food [is] a ridiculous amount a day. One month in hospital is £400-odd a month in just being able to access school work and parking. We can’t do it anymore and she is now so isolated, bored, lonely and frustrated.”
Opening up about her experience with her son’s croup battle, parent Emma revealed that her five-day stay in Southampton General hospital set her back £375. She was still forced to pay her son’s childcare fees despite his absence and the only food shop available on-site was a Marks & Spencer. She was covered as she luckily had an EverydayProtect policy from MetLife UK, which offered a generous £400 payout.
If she had ChildShield Plus though, the multiple days in hospital would have seen her receive a total of £500.
What is MetLife’s ChildShield?
This unique product is a standalone child protection cover from MetLife. ChildShield provides a lump sum payment if your children are injured or seriously ill*.
It’s designed to offer children protection from birth to 22 years of age, and supports you and your family should the unthinkable happen.
MetLife understands that accidents can occur, especially with little ones, so that extra support allows you to focus on the things that matter – and not worry about the unexpected costs if your children are injured or seriously ill.
And because it’s not an add-on to another product, parents don’t have to have existing cover with MetLife, or anyone else, to qualify.
With ChildShield, you can choose between two levels of cover. ChildShield Standard is just £6 per month and ChildShield Plus for £11 a month. The coverage is the same, except the Plus option will pay double the benefit at less than double the cost.
Below, you’ll see the accidents and illnesses that ChildShield can protect your children for.