Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mirror readers on the charges..
spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, Shrops, after his wife was taken ill with heart problems.
Carole, 71, suffers with atrial fibrillation and was taken in by ambulance on both days before being released in the early hours, costing the couple £14 in charges.
Michael, 78, said: “It’s bad enough having to spend Christmas this way. We are pensioners so we don’t have the income of working people.
“I couldn’t believe they were still charging over Christmas. I’m dreading the
And the Mirror today launches a petition demanding Jeremy Hunt scraps the hated fees that last year raked in a record £175million for NHS trusts and private contractors.
We were flooded with calls from furious readers after we revealed the sick, disabled, relatives and workers were being charged £500,000 a day to use hospital car parks at up to £4 an hour. It comes as it was revealed only 0.001% of income from the fees is spent on health.
Tory MP Robert Halfon has a Bill going through Parliament calling for England to follow Wales and Scotland in scrapping hospital parking fees and properly funding the NHS to pay for it.
He said: “Hospital parking charges have become the Wild West in terms of how NHS car parks operate.
“They are a stealth tax on the elderly, the disabled, families visiting patients and staff. It’s wrong that everyone gets the NHS for free unless they drive a motor car.
“That’s why I am supporting the Daily Mirror’s petition to scrap hospital car parking charges now.”
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, who pledged to scrap the charges if Labour win the next election, added: “Axe this unfair tax on our sick now.
“It’s time to stop robbing the sick and those who care for them.”
BMA council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “Hospital parking fees unfairly penalise people visiting sick family or friends and they should be abolished.”
Society for Acute Medicine president Dr Nick Scriven added: “It‘s bad enough having illness needing hospital without having to pay to visit.
“It would be a bit easier to accept if trusts could show money raised benefited patients rather than it disappearing into spreadsheets.”
There was anger at charges for disabled patients. Scope charity spokesman Richard Lane said: “Some disabled people and their families have to attend frequent hospital appointments and parking fees are one of the many reasons why life costs much more if you are disabled.
“Extra costs leave many people struggling to afford the basics.”
Kidney Care UK policy director Fiona Loud added: “Dialysis patients have to go three times a week for about next visit and paying again because I know we’ll be back.”
said she and her family have spent more than £1,000 on regular
I’m dreading the next visit and paying again
hospital visits with her sister who suffers with Crohn’s disease.
The severe inflammatory bowel disease has meant sister Clare Howarth has spent four hours for the rest of their life unless they get a transplant.
“Many rely on hospital transport but those who are able to drive should not have to pay to park.” The Brain Tumour Charity tweeted: “Living with the impact of a brain tumour is hugely difficult emotionally and financially.
“We know what an added burden hospital parking charges are.” Patients, staff and relatives of the sick called the Mirror to complain about the charges. Some told how they were left with bills of hundreds of pounds due to frequent visits to hospital with chronic illnesses.