Home News Hospital staff paying ‘extortionate’ charges to park at work, says UNISON

Hospital staff paying ‘extortionate’ charges to park at work, says UNISON

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Some hospitals are charging NHS staff, including low-waged nurses and porters, ‘extortionate’ fees of nearly £100 a month to park, says UNISON today (Wednesday).

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top chargers with full-time staff paying £85.38 a month to park at the Royal Free Hospital site. Others include the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust where the cost of a space in one of its car parks is £79.50 a month.

They are among more than one in ten operating a ‘flat rate’ system, regardless of what employees get paid, according to responses from 199 trusts across Britain. However, others provide discounted parking for staff on lower wages – and some charge healthcare workers nothing at all.

This highlights a postcode lottery, says UNISON, with wide variation in charging policies and fees around the country. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent charges full-time staff £17.33 a month, whereas the cost at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Tyne and Wear is £40 a month for a five-day-a-week permit.

Nurses and other health workers are also being left with fines of up to £100­ – more than a day’s wage – while trusts and private contractors make thousands from these parking penalties, says UNISON.

Many NHS staff are not even guaranteed a parking space despite having to pay out in advance for permits. This can mean having to arrive at work an hour early to get a space, according to UNISON.

Other health employees are waiting up to three years for a hospital parking permit. Without this, staff complain about having to waste time driving around looking for a space to park on local streets.

UNISON head of health Christina McAnea said: “Health staff are struggling to get by on a pay rise well below the cost of living, and these extortionate fees are an extra tax on their wages.

“Many NHS staff work shifts so they have to drive because they can’t get buses or trains in the middle of the night. Health workers in rural areas, where public transport is virtually non-existent, are entirely dependent on their cars to get to work.

“Others have to fork out for expensive permits with no guarantee of a space when they get to work.

“The government should be guaranteeing fair parking charges for all health employees, and the NHS should stop making money off the back of its dedicated workforce.”

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