OBSERVER readers have branded parking charges at the Worcestershire Royal ‘far too high’ with one calling for them to be scrapped altogether.
A number of readers aired their views following our story last week on Labour’s naming and shaming of health trusts across the country who charge disabled residents to park.
Among those named was Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, who run the Royal and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.
Richard Adey told the Observer about being heart-breakingly charged £7.50 for parking in the aftermath of his father’s death last year.
The Worcester resident said his father had a blue badge as he suffered with Motor Neurone Disease which meant he could park free at appointments at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital but not at Worcester.
“I had been advised in the middle of the previous afternoon I should attend the hospital as quickly as possible I had no alternative but to drive,” he said.
“I was particularly unhappy to have to pay to exit the car park at the hospital in the early hours of the morning after my father had just died.
Mr Adey called for blue badge holders to be offered free parking in appropriate spaces and close to the entrance.
“I should prefer all parking at the hospital to be free; after all most people do not choose to use a car park at such a site but visit because they need to do so.
“If this cannot be offered the charges should be reasonable / notional and not set at excessive levels as at present,” he added.
Pat Hague contacted the Observer to share her experience with her grown up disabled grandson who had regular hospital appointments.
“Most disabled people have limited financial resources and to pay for necessary parking is an additional burden,” she said.
“Surely as a caring society we should help those less fortunate than ourselves? I would ban all hospital parking fees .
Jill Neath shared her experience of moving away from Worcester to North Wales where parking charges were scrapped in 2008.
“How come you have to pay so much in England when they and Wales are all NHS hospitals?”
A Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We regularly benchmark our car parking charges against other local hospital trusts to ensure that our charges remain in line with, or cheaper, than the average hospital parking charges.
“As some of our patients require regular visits to our hospitals, we also offer a special concessionary parking charge of £1 per day for parents visiting children in our care, patients with cancer and other long-stay patients and their visitors.”
She added the majority of income gained from the charges was invested back into the maintenance and upgrade of car parking and road systems and providing security.
