NHS staff in Midlands speak out as parking charges re-introduced for hospital staff

'One member of staff is thinking of changing profession, there's a supermarket opened up locally, she's had enough'

NHS workers in the Midlands have hit out as free parking is removed for hospital staff, saying "it's the last straw".

It comes as parking charges for NHS staff have been reintroduced on the same day that people have to start paying more for their bills as the energy price cap is lifted. 

Charges were temporarily lifted by the government in April 2020, during the pandemic, after more than 400,000 people signed a petition.

It's estimated to have cost the government £113 billion over the last two years.

Responding to the changes, Philip Bradley, a community assistant practitioner at South Warwickshire trust and GMB union rep said: "A lot of staff are tired now, and they're demoralised.

"Introducing parking again is going to demoralise them further."

He adds: "One member of staff has said 'it's the last straw', she's actually thinking of changing profession, there's a supermarket opened up locally, and she's just had enough.

"A lot of colleagues have informed me they have to do extra shifts to make ends meet and a lot of staff are really, really fed up now because they are constantly dipping into their pocket, but their wages aren't increasing."

A South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust’s Spokesperson said: "During the Covid-19 pandemic our Trust, alongside NHS organisations nationally, received national funding to offer free car parking to all NHS and social care staff."

They added: "On Thursday 31 March 2022, this funding stopped. Therefore, from Friday 01 April 2022, following national guidance and in line with healthcare organisations across Coventry and Warwickshire, our Trust reinstated car parking charges for staff. These charges have not risen for our staff since 2013.

“All car parking income generated at our organisation is reinvested back into patient and staff car parks to ensure that they remain safe and secure."

They continued: "Without charging, necessary maintenance work, security and CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems would have to be funded by the NHS, impacting on the money available for direct patient care."

Hospital staff in the Midlands had the highest level of spending for any area in England in the year 2019-2020, according to the GMB Union, forking out a huge £18 million.

A freedom of information request from the union previously found that hospital staff were paying up to £1,300 a year to park at work.

Now, NHS staff have the opportunity to opt in or out of a monthly car parking payment scheme, which is taken directly from their salary.

Some trusts in the region have chosen not to remove free car parking for staff, including the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare Trust, but say that decision will be kept under review.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has extended free parking until June, when it will review the policy.

Announcing the end of the scheme in a written statement to the commons, Sajid Javid said: "Over 93% of NHS trusts that charge for car parking have implemented free parking for those in greatest need, including NHS staff working overnight."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are delivering on the manifesto commitment to provide free hospital car parking to thousands more NHS patients and visitors - with over 94% of NHS trusts implementing free car parking for those who need it most, including NHS staff working night shifts."

“We rightly provided temporary funding so NHS staff could access free hospital car parking during the height of this unprecedented pandemic. As we learn to live with Covid, this will end on 31 March but free parking for staff on night shifts will continue.”