£500,000 A DAY NHS CAR PARK RIP-OFF
Fury as charges for hospital patients, staff and visitors hit a record £175m
HOSPITALS made £500,000 a day from parking last year.
The record haul, branded a tax on the sick, sparked fury. One patient said: “It’s a rip-off.”
IT is time to end the hospital car parking rip-off once and for all. These parking charges are the bane of people’s lives.
No one goes to hospital out of choice; they go because they must.
The sick and vulnerable are disproportionately hit, particularly those with long-term and severe illnesses.
Much of the hospital workforce cannot rely on public transport to get to work, particularly if they are working shifts at unsociable hours. Almost half of hospitals offer no concessions for disabled drivers.
If we value our hospital staff, we should allow them free parking. This is why I have introduced a Bill to ban charging for parking at NHS hospitals for patients, staff and visitors.
Hospital car parking charges are a stealth tax on the NHS. We cannot say in good faith that the NHS is free at the point of access if people with cars face extortionate and unfair parking fees to get to appointments, go to work at our vital public services or visit sick relatives.