Hospital parking fees set to stay

Date published: 04/03/2008

Rochdale Infirmary is unlikely to follow Wales’s lead in providing free car parking.

The Welsh Assembly is to scrap parking fees at most hospitals in the principality from next month, leading to calls for the rest of the UK to follow suit.

But a spokesman for Rochdale Infirmary said its parking policies are drawn up in line with guidance from the Department of Health, which has no plans to abolish charges in England.

The number-one complaint from patients and visitors to Rochdale Infirmary is the lack of parking capacity but few protest about the fees.

Patients missing appointments because they were struggling to find a parking space is the major bugbear, said the spokesman.

Pennine Acute Trust, which also runs hospitals in Bury, Oldham and North Manchester, raked in more than £1.5 million in car parking charges in 2006-07.

The spokesman added that money would have to be found from elsewhere if charges were scrapped.

But The Patients’ Association has condemned the amount saying it is immoral to make money out of vulnerable people and staff.

Announcing the measure, Welsh health minister Edwina Hart said: "Parking charges are at best an inconvenience and at worst an unfair expense.

"Over time, all NHS patients, visitors and those who care for them will not have the expense or inconvenience of charges."

Patients, staff and visitors welcomed the move. The British Medical Association said it was delighted but warned that free spaces at hospitals could be abused.

But the Welsh NHS Confederation said the move would increase pressure on cash–strapped NHS trusts.

Almost £5.4 million was collected by them in Wales from hospital parking from 2006–7, which NHS funding mustnow cover.