Hospitals offer debt advice

HOSPITALS are providing debt counselling for patients and their relatives.

Great Ormond Street is the first to set up the free service. It will be run by the Citizens Advice Bureau and opens this week at the hospital's Bloomsbury site.

Many families are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cash problems, especially in cases of chronic illness. Tony and Linda Punter from Tottenham told how they filed for bankruptcy when daughter Claire was treated at Great Ormond Street for a spinal curvature. The 17-year-old was in hospital for seven months which meant Mrs Punter had to be at her daughter's bedside.

But her carers allowance was reduced and Mr Punter, a supervisor, lost his job.

He said: "We were told we owed £3,000 in benefits. We put the CAB on the case and it was all sorted for us." The initial three year funding for the CAB has been raised through the Abbey Charitable Trust.