Letter to Daily Post: Hospital Car Parking (Eleanor Burnham )

Cymraeg
English

Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

Letter to Daily Post: Hospital Car Parking

September 21, 2006 3:19 PM

Sir,

I wish to congratulate the British Medical Association Cymru on raising the problem of NHS hospital car parking charges

I can deeply sympathise with the plight of those patients for whom travelling to and from hospitals is difficult enough, without the added burden of paying uncertain car parking charges.

However, this is an issue that needs careful consideration. There is evidence to suggest that free hospital car parking is often abused by those who have no business at the hospitals. Indeed, at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, free spaces were often taken by commuter vehicles whose owners travelled to places of work in Liverpool and Chester.

There are enormous financial pressures on the NHS and it is essential that when considering the question of parking charges we balance that with the need to prioritise other services. However, there is a need to ensure patients are not overcharged and that there is some standardisation across the region. And to this end earlier this week I tabled a question demanding that the Assembly Government issues guidance across North Wales NHS Trusts relating to their charging systems.

Furthermore, I believe it is crucial that the Welsh Assembly Government works with NHS Trusts to publicise the parking exemption schemes available to patients across Wales, so that patients can access hospitals without facing extra costs.

Car parking is an ongoing problem for hospital patients, their visitors and hard working staff which I am determined to get Dr Gibbons to address.

Eleanor Burnham,

Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales.