Parking charges ‘exploiting patients’
This is Hertfordshire
By Louisa Barnett
Patients visiting Watford General Hospital are forking out up to £10 a day in parking charges, making it one of the top ten most expensive hospital car parks in the country.
Parking costs at the hospital, which serves one third of Hertsmere residents, have rocketed by up to 67 per cent in the past year and have been slammed by health scrutiny committee members who have accused West Hertfordshire NHS Hospital Trust of exploiting patients. They say the trust, which is currently trying to claw back a £28.3 million deficit, is using patients to help balance its books and ease its cash crisis.
Derek Marcus, chairman of Hertsmere's patient forum, said: "It's extortionate.
"We know it the trust is trying to recoup money but it's not fair for patients to pay the brunt.
"It's a quandary for the trust but it's hard for the patients. It really is an imposition.
"There used to be a moderate charge to prevent neighbouring motorists from parking there which is understandable, but these charges are just ridiculous."
The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, was labelled the healthiest earner, charging its patients up to £72 a day to park their cars.
Currently, the prices at Watford are £2.50 for up to three hours, £3 for three to five hours and £10 for more than five hours.
However, a concession scheme is in place ensuring that disabled drivers and those visiting certain units, such as the stroke unit, are exempt from the charges. The scheme is also extended to those attending the hospital three times a week and those visiting patients who are staying in the hospital long-term.
A spokesperson for the trust said: "It's not got anything to do with clawing back our deficit.
"We undertook the car parking review three years ago and at that time, it was about improving the management of the car park.
"It costs us a lot of money to maintain and we also have to pay a capital charge on the land. It's not just there we have to pay money for it and the money we charge for parking goes straight back into that.
"The charges are in no way connected to our debt."
In March, it was revealed that Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust made more than £1 million from parking charges last year, as it announced its increased parking charges.
The trust, which serves two-thirds of Hertsmere residents, came tenth in a list of 146 hospital trusts nationwide ranked in order of how much money they raised through parking.
By Louisa Barnett
Patients visiting Watford General Hospital are forking out up to £10 a day in parking charges, making it one of the top ten most expensive hospital car parks in the country.
Parking costs at the hospital, which serves one third of Hertsmere residents, have rocketed by up to 67 per cent in the past year and have been slammed by health scrutiny committee members who have accused West Hertfordshire NHS Hospital Trust of exploiting patients. They say the trust, which is currently trying to claw back a £28.3 million deficit, is using patients to help balance its books and ease its cash crisis.
Derek Marcus, chairman of Hertsmere's patient forum, said: "It's extortionate.
"We know it the trust is trying to recoup money but it's not fair for patients to pay the brunt.
"It's a quandary for the trust but it's hard for the patients. It really is an imposition.
"There used to be a moderate charge to prevent neighbouring motorists from parking there which is understandable, but these charges are just ridiculous."
The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London, was labelled the healthiest earner, charging its patients up to £72 a day to park their cars.
Currently, the prices at Watford are £2.50 for up to three hours, £3 for three to five hours and £10 for more than five hours.
However, a concession scheme is in place ensuring that disabled drivers and those visiting certain units, such as the stroke unit, are exempt from the charges. The scheme is also extended to those attending the hospital three times a week and those visiting patients who are staying in the hospital long-term.
A spokesperson for the trust said: "It's not got anything to do with clawing back our deficit.
"We undertook the car parking review three years ago and at that time, it was about improving the management of the car park.
"It costs us a lot of money to maintain and we also have to pay a capital charge on the land. It's not just there we have to pay money for it and the money we charge for parking goes straight back into that.
"The charges are in no way connected to our debt."
In March, it was revealed that Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust made more than £1 million from parking charges last year, as it announced its increased parking charges.
The trust, which serves two-thirds of Hertsmere residents, came tenth in a list of 146 hospital trusts nationwide ranked in order of how much money they raised through parking.
posted by Neil Herron at 5:24 AM
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