Outrage as travellers set up camp at hospital
A FAMILY of travellers have provoked outrage after being allowed to set up camp outside one of Britain’s biggest hospitals – dodging car park bills of up to £15 a day.
The group, from southern Ireland, set up home near Manchester Royal Infirmary last month after one of them, a 39-year-old father-of-three, was rushed into intensive care with heart problems.
While relatives of other patients are having to fork out for a nearby multistorey car park or else travel to the hospital by bus or taxi, the travellers have been given permission to park their four vans for free in a fenced off area near one of the main entrances.
They are reportedly also being allowed access to hospital facilities to wash and use the lavatories.
Despite there being a traveller camp fewer than two miles away, they plan to stay put until the family member being treated there is discharged
The move has sparked anger among other hospital visitors.
One man fumed: “It’s not right when you think of how much ordinary families have to pay to use the car park. It’s preferential treatment by the hospital and shouldn’t happen.”
A woman visiting her sick husband said: “Why couldn’t somewhere else be found for them to stay away from the hospital entrance?”
Another visitor added: “If we were at a hospital abroad, we couldn’t pitch up outside like that. They have bags of rubbish and it’s quite dirty.”
The travellers, who have accessed NHS services through reciprocal EU arrangements, say they do not want to cause any trouble.
The sick man’s wife, who hasn’t been named, said they were on holiday when her husband fell seriously attacks.
She added: “We plan to stay as long as we need to because we want to be close to him while he’s sick.”
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust said last night it was continuing to manage their presence on site and stressed that the vehicles were not causing any obstruction. In a statement, it added: “Discussions continue with all parties to resolve this situation.”
Greater Manchester Police said they had not been involved in the matter nor been asked to intervene.
Manchester City Council declined to comment. ill after having two heart