Parking charges re-introduced at hospitals across our region for NHS frontline staff
NHS staff across the North East and North Yorkshire will have to start paying to use hospital car parks from today.
Charges were temporarily lifted by the government at the start of the pandemic after more than 400,000 people nationwide signed a petition.
Labour said the move is “a very odd way to thank NHS staff for their efforts over the pandemic”, especially “in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis”. However, they did not commit to removing the charges.
The North East had the third highest level of spending for any area in England, according to the GMB Union.
A freedom of information request made by the union previously found that staff were paying up to nearly £1,300 a year for parking at work.
The parking charges come into force on the same day that people will have to start paying more for bills with the lifting of the energy price cap.
Rachael Harrison, GMB National Officer, says: “It’s almost like the Health Secretary has a personal vendetta against NHS staff. During the worst cost of living crisis in a generation he’s hell-bent on forcing them to swallow yet another real terms pay cut.
“Now comes the real insult to injury, he’s making them pay to park at work”.
She added: “Health workers are on their knees following a two-year pandemic – they need help and support, not being repeatedly kicked when they are down”.
Ms Harrison called for the government to scrap charges and for employers to “do the right thing and scrap the reintroduction of local parking charges”.
A government spokesperson said: “We 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”.