Car Park Charges At Hospitals ‘A Tax On The Sick’

Car parking charges at four Glasgow hospital sites came into effect for the first time yesterday. The Western Infirmary, the Yorkhill hospitals, the Victoria Infirmary and Gartnavel General Hospital are all affected by the move, which sees a sliding scale of charges to be paid by staff, patients and visitors.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde insists the charges are necessary to prevent its car parks being abused by shoppers and commuters and that it will fund new parking management arrangements to alleviate onsite congestion without diverting money away from direct patient care.
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Unison, the public sector union that represents many of Scotland’s health service workers, said it was a “tax on the sick” that would also wipe out a recent 2.5% pay rise for many staff.

Unison branch secretary Ann McGinley said: “We have almost 10,000 signatures showing the strength of opposition.

“The NHS is supposed to be free, yet vulnerable people are being hit with these charges – low-paid staff, parents of sick kids and people who need regular treatment.”

Under the new system the minimum charge will be £1 for two hours, £1.50 for up to three hours and £2.50 for up to four hours. Disabled badge holders may park free in any public car park on any site.

Frequently attending visitors for longer-stay patients and children younger than 16 will be eligible for concessionary charges. The penalty for inappropriate parking will be £40, which will be reduced to £20 if paid within two weeks.

Staff earning less than £10,000 a year will pay £5 a month for parking. This will increase to £40 a month for those earning more than £30,000.

The maximum daily parking charge was originally to be £12 but was reduced to £7 after a review by the health board.

Tom Divers, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We must all remember why car parking charges are being introduced to our busiest hospital sites.

“Some of our sites are log- jammed with commuters taking advantage of free parking, resulting in patients and visitors, especially the disabled, struggling to find spaces.”

Last night a health board spokesman said: “It’s too early to say if this has had an impact on hospital visitor numbers.”