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£45 hospital parking charge deters heart patient from therapy
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor05.11.08
PATIENTS are cancelling vital appointments because of "exorbitant" hospital parking charges.
At least one trust in London is charging up to £3 an hour to park - even if those doing so are receiving crucial treatment. Health campaigners called the charges a "stealth tax".
Researchers from BBC1's Inside Out programme spoke to patients who said they could not afford to pay. Pensioner Joan Laurance had heart surgery at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead last year and needed a week of rehabilitation. Doctors warned her not to take public transport for health reasons - but driving would have cost her £45 for a week's parking.
Instead, she chose not to attend therapy. She said: "The patients who do go to rehabilitation live quite a bit longer than those who don't. But it costs you £3 an hour to park, which I think is a prohibitive sum. It was much too expensive to spend, three hours a day for five days."
Actress Lysette Anthony said she was fined £60 for a 20-minute overstay at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Her son Jimi, four, has juvenile arthritis and was being operated on. She said: 'We were given a £60 ticket because we couldn't leave our son on the operating table to go and satisfy Camden council. Quite apart from the expense, anyone who says 'get a cab' clearly doesn't have a child because cabs don't have car seats."
Hospital parking charges have been scrapped in Scotland and Wales, but not in England. Geoff Martin, of campaign group London Health Emergency, said: 'We have NHS trusts effectively imposing a stealth tax not just on patients and their visitors but also on staff."
A spokesman for Kingston hospital said: "The trust is well served by public transport and we have invested in initiatives to encourage cycling and walking to work."
A spokeswoman for the Royal Free said charges were set at £3 an hour in 2000 to deter commuters. She added: "There are dispensations for certain groups. These include visitors to patients who are near death or having regular treatment for cancer. The trust is trying to identify other groups who could qualify."
Reader views (9)
The heart patient quoted in this article had been discharged form hospital. After any major operation you are offered a period of rehabiliation where you attend hospital appointments. If you are considered mobile enough to live at home then you are considered mobile enough to make your own way about. I had a brain haemorrhage some years ago and I was treated in a central london hospital. i have attended various follow up appointments at this hospital since. I have never demanded a car parking space in central London for these appointments, nor assumed that it was the National Health Service's responsibility to provide these services for me on tap. The NHS is a huge privilege and we should all guard it and treasure it; demanding chauffeur services and car parking spaces is bleeding cash out of the systme that could be used for treatment and care.
- Susan, london
Sorry but I find it hard to see how someone can not afford to pay £45 to park for a week if it keeps their Heart going another few years! The fact she has a car implies she is capable of paying £45.
- Mark, gibraltar
Bruce get a grip and get a life. Where did I say she should have carried her child like St Christopher? My child was in hospital for some time before it came home so you have no idea what you are talking about. No-one needs to 'lug' a car seat around around like a ball and chain. Every new parent is asked, and reminded over and over to bring a car seat to hospital with them, car-owner or not. Once its there, its there. It doesn't have to be dragged around anywhere. I do not think she should have to pay the parking ticket and I do think the parking rates are extortionate so stop reading between the lines and getting yourself in a fluff. I am merely pointing out that there is no difference in expecting one parent to bring a car seat, and not another. End.
- Jc, London
To JC, obviously she could have walked, carrying her child on her shoulders just as she could have lugged a child seat in a taxi but perhaps she shouldn't have to go through that extra hassle when taking her child to hospital for an operation. Perhaps the cost of the taxi is also prohibitive. All parking at hospitals should be free period in my opinion.
- Bruce, London
Scotland and Wales have stopped Hospitals charging for car parking so England should follow them.
- Stan White, leeds
Jc, London.
It's the principle of the matter, and how much will a taxi cost in anycase. I can assure you a short round trip won't be short of £20.
- Alec, West Londn
But you don't pay in Scotland or Wales, remember this at the next election.
- P I Staker, London
How about sacking all of the "managers" who dream up these parking schemes and using the money to pay for a permanent parking attendant at all hospital car parks. The attendant can keep out the selfish commuters who park in hospitals and provide security for the patients and visitors cars when parked there. I expect that full time car park attendants will be considerably cheaper than the former managers.
- Dannyp, Egham
Why can't she take a taxi? She can fit a car seat. She clearly owns a car seat!?! After giving birth, my trip home was in a taxi as we don't own a car. I fitted my own car seat. What's the difference?
- Jc, London
