Fathers prime carers of their sick children

FATHERS now take more time off work to care for sick children than mothers, a new survey reveals.

Traditionally mothers stepped in when their children were ill but a change in social and working attitudes has been attributed to a rise in fathers taking on the role.

A study by health app firm Evergreen Life revealed that a higher percentage of men are now taking time off work to care for their children.

The survey of 1,000 parents with children under 12 showed that one in 10 parents currently take more than 10 days off work when they are ill.

The percentage of men taking time off was consistently higher in four of six categories (one-five days, six-10 days, 11-15 days and 1620 days).

Parents with children with a long-term health condition, such as asthma, allergies or diabetes, were over five times more likely to take more than 10 days off work. Stephen Critchlow, of Evergreen, said: “With this survey, we wanted to see to what extent looking after a sick child impacted the life of a parent.

“The consequences are twofold: parents lose valuable working hours, which may have to be made up elsewhere, or by using holiday; and they may miss out on income. And we know that better incomes tend to mean better health.”

The survey also revealed that UK parents estimate it costs them on average £231 a year to look after a sick child, with one in seven parents saying it costs them more than £500 a year.

More than 50 per cent said they felt they wait too long to get an appointment with a GP or medical professional, with a further 57 per cent claiming they spend up to 15 hours a month simply arranging and attending their children’s medical appointments. Evergreen has created an app to help parents keep their child’s records updated and book GP appointments more easily.