September 3, 2008

Parking charges are to be abolished in Scottish hospitals from the new year, however, patients and visitors in England will continue to be charged through the existing pay and display system.

The fourteen hospitals in the region, will be eradicating the payment by the 31st of December, yet this is only for hospitals north of the border. All hospitals in Wales have had free parking for a number of months now, and it is felt that it is time for hospitals in England to follow suit.

Nevertheless plans of the parking fees being dropped in England are not being considered. The money from the parking fees go to hospital trusts, last year they amounting to almost £100million.

With the news that Scottish parking is now free, pressure for English hospitals to offer free parking is mounting.

The parking charges have long been criticised as a stealth tax on those that are scant able to afford it.  It charges people for something that they have little or no choice in doing, and can amount to large amounts of money for people undertaking long term treatment.  It also adds to the stress of the patient at an already stressful time.

With the Scottish and Welsh taking the lead, and the weight of public opinion against the fees we can just hope that it can only be a matter of time before The Department of Health sees sense and gets rid of parking fees once and for all.

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