Coventry MP in new attack on NHS staff parking charges

COVENTRY North West MP Taiwo Owatemi has challenged the Prime Minister on parking charges for NHS staff at UHCW in Coventry.

Ms Owatemi told Rishi Sunak during Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament they are adding to the cost-of-living crisis “hammering” working people in Coventry.

Parking charges at UHCW cost a fulltime member of staff £600 per year. It was recently reported that Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust generated more revenue from parking charges than any other NHS Trust in the country.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, car parking was made free for all NHS staff, but the Department for Health Social Care decided to end this measure at the start of the year.

Ms Owatemi asked the PM: “While the Prime Minister was recorded secretly boasting to friends that he diverted money away from deprived areas like Coventry into wealthy areas, staff at Coventry’s Hospital are still paying £600 a year to park at work.

“When will the Prime Minister stop hammering working people in my community?”

In response, Mr Sunak pointed to the government’s introduction of free parking during the pandemic and the fact that parking is still free for workers on night shifts.

The Prime Minister said: “Mr Speaker, I think the honourable lady was asking about car parking in NHS hospitals, if I understood her rightly. We did introduce temporary free car parking during the pandemic, that was the right thing to do. And now, all NHS trusts that charge for parking have implemented our free parking manifesto commitment for those in the greatest need including hard-working NHS staff who work overnight.”

But the Coventry MP says she wants parking charges for NHS staff to be scrapped for good. She said: “After two years of a pandemic, we owe our NHS workers a huge debt. Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, they saved thousands of lives despite short staffing and severe personal risk.

“I have written four times to different Health Secretaries, asking them to take action regarding the extortionate parking charges for NHS staff in Coventry but I have been repeatedly ignored by this uncaring Conservative government. Yet again, today the Prime Minister was unable to come up with anything to ease the cost-of-living crisis these key workers are facing.

“This charge is simply unacceptable. It makes no sense that whilst parking is free for staff who work night shifts, other staff still have to fork out.

“It means an effective £600 a year pay cut for NHS staff which will only further undermine NHS morale, making it even more difficult to retain experienced staff, let alone fill the 100,000 vacancies in our health service.”

Ms Owatemi is also asking residents to support her petition, calling on the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, to “scrap car parking charges for our NHS staff, so that key workers do not have to pay these heavy costs simply for the privilege of parking at work”.

The GMB Trade Union, which represents staff working in the NHS, have also been campaigning for an end to car parking charges.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “After more than a decade of real terms pay cuts and two years on the frontline of the pandemic, forcing NHS workers to pay to go to work is repulsive. They need help and support, not being repeatedly kicked when they are down. ”

A trust spokesperson previously said: “A large proportion of our car parks at University Hospital Coventry form part of a Private Finance Initiative contract and as a result we generate minimal car park revenue directly from staff, patients or visitors.

“The figure highlighted (in the reports) includes VAT which is passed on to the Government by the trust and our PFI partner.

“We work very closely with our PFI partner to minimise the impact of charges for patients, visitors and staff by providing a subsidy.

“Any further subsidies would take money from budgets used for patient care.

“Money generated from parking fees at UHCW trust goes toward essential running costs of the car parks and surrounding areas, including maintenance, security, lighting, improvements and increased capacity.”

After two years of pandemic we owe our NHS workers a huge debt.

MP