- UK hospital car park costs surge
- Lib Dems demand action
- Conservatives fulfill pledge
Each day, an amount equivalent to £400,000 is spent in hospital parking lots. The numbers have prompted a demand for action from the Liberal Democrats toward the government.
According to data, the cost of parking at hospitals in England has increased by 50% in the past year.
In 2022/23, patients and visitors spent £146 million on parking, equivalent to £400,000 per day.
The figures, initially revealed by the Liberal Democrats, have tripled in value from £96.7 million a year ago.
In contrast, hospital employees’ car parking expenses increased by over eight times from £5.6 million in 2021/22 to £46.7 million in 2022/23.
The Lib Dems referred to the enormous amount as a “tax on caring” and criticized the government for “failing to deliver” on a pledge made in their 2019 manifesto to eliminate unfair charges by providing free parking for the most vulnerable.
Parking fees were reinstated in part due to the increase following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The director of the Royal College of Nursing for England, Patricia Marquis, stated: “The escalating expense of parking significantly depletes the meager wages of nursing staff and support workers.
Government and the NHS must reconsider; it is utterly unjust to expect nursing staff to perform their duties at their expense.
As per the most recent NHS guidance, revised in March 2022, parking should be complimentary for the following: disabled individuals, frequent outpatient attendees, parents of sick children remaining overnight, and staff working night shifts.
Additionally, voluntary charge arrangements should be “reasonable for the area” for NHS Trusts.
“On the verge”
The Health Foundation think tank estimates that due to significant inflation, NHS England’s budget is £3.5 billion less in value this year than it was last.
However, the Lib Dems cautioned that inadequate funding for local health services will continue to cause parking garage costs to soar.
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Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem advisor on health and social care, stated, “It is incomprehensible that Rishi Sunak is slashing NHS funding when hospitals are already on the brink.”
Voting Conservative is detrimental to one’s health and finances; this could not be a more explicit message to the citizens.
The party has urged Rishi Sunak to collaborate with institutions to establish a “visiting and caring fund” that reduces fees for both patients and staff.
They stated that this would ensure that no one pays exorbitant fees to visit a family member in the hospital.
The Conservatives have fulfilled their manifesto pledge to halt unjust charges against those in the greatest need, according to a spokesman for the party.
The Liberal Democrats ought to disclose which services they would eliminate to further subsidize parking.
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