ANGER AS FREE PARKING FOR NHS HOSPITAL STAFF IN ENGLAND TO END ON FRIDAY

The Health Secretary has ordered NHS Trusts in England to withdraw free car parking provisions for NHS workers from this Friday and the decision has been met with anger from both NHS staff and the public.

The move has been described as nothing more than profiteering and has reignited the debate as to why staff, out patients and visitors are charged to access vital health services.

Parking fees were waived in 2020 for the “duration” of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now the Health Secretary has advised NHS Trusts in England that this must now come to an end with charges reinstated.

NHS organisations have now been ordered to start charging the majority of staff again from Friday 1 April 2022, which rather ironically is April Fools day.

Health service workers often pay exorbitant fees of between £20 and £65 per month for the privilege of parking just so they can do their jobs.

Health Secretary Savid Javid, said:

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“Free parking in hospital car parks for NHS staff introduced during the pandemic will also come to an end on March 31.

“However, over 93% of NHS trusts that charge for car parking have implemented free parking for those in greatest need, including NHS staff working overnight.”

“On behalf of the Government, I would like to record my thanks to everyone who has worked tirelessly to keep people safe over the last two years and whose efforts have enabled us to move to the next stage of the Covid-19 response.”

However, Nurses United UK have branded the move as "tone-deaf and dangerous" at a time when Covid cases are on the rise again and the country is in the grips of a cost of living crisis which is already impacting families hard and is only expected to get worse in the coming months.

With inflation sky rocketing, it means in real terms that NHS workers have lost over 30% of their wages since 2010.

This latest decision will inflict another pay cut by forcing NHS workers to pay for parking at a time when every penny counts.

The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said:

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“Our amazing NHS key workers put their lives on the line to get us through this pandemic. Scrapping free car parking in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is a lousy way to repay that service.

“The government should be giving health staff a proper pay rise - not adding to their bills. And it should be funding our NHS properly so that hospitals don’t have to rely on car parks for income.”