Patient 'horrified' at West Herts NHS Hospitals Trust decision to scrap free disabled parking

12:00pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Adam Binnie, Senior Reporter

The decision to scrap free parking for disabled people visiting Watford General Hospital will cost people "an absolute fortune".

From April, blue-badge holders will have to pay the same £4 minimum parking charge as any other visitor to West Herts NHS Hospitals Trust sites in Watford, St Albans and Hemel.

The trust, which makes no profit from car parking tickets or fines, claimed the decision was to promote "fairness and equality".

Hospital regular Reg Youngman, 74, from Watford, said: "I’m horrified, it’s ridiculous. I find walking extremely difficult because I have to use two sticks. It’s a 20-minute to walk up for me.

"They say there are plenty of disabled places but the building work has taken over most of them and the rest are usually full up so I have to park at the bottom.

"I have to visit every week for blood tests or to see the cardiologist and urologist, I’m a pensioner and it’s going to cost me an absolute fortune.

"The slope from the hospital is an absolute killer, if it’s slippery or wet it’s even more difficult."

The news came just months after the trust said it was unable to lower the charge to £2.50, because it was locked into a contract until 2015.

Leigh Hutchings, from Disability Watford, said: "I heard rumours about this but I didn’t think they’d actually do it.

"Disabled people are being squeezed enough as it is, what with being reassessed for benefits. People don’t realise how expensive being disabled is.

"Someone’s made a decision without thinking about the consequences. People won’t go to hospital as much as they need to.

"When people think of disability they only think of people in wheelchairs, but if you’ve got cancer and can’t breathe properly then you can’t walk very far either."

Mr Hutchings said Disability Watford was due to meet with the hospital trust to discuss the new fee.

He added: "We disagree with the fee, but we’ll wait and meet with them before launching any campaign against it. We’re not happy, but hopefully we can turn this around without any conflict."

Currently the cheapest parking ticket at the Vicarage Road hospital is £4 for three hours, which drivers have to buy no matter how short their visit. After that motorists have to pay £6 for five hours or £12 to park all day.

Louise Gaffney, director of strategy and infrastructure, said: "This decision was not made lightly by the trust board.

"It will create fairness and equality for everyone needing to use the hospital car parks. Trust staff with a blue-badge are charged for parking on site.

Ms Gaffney said there will still be priority spaces for disabled visitors, discounts for frequently visitors, and free 30-minute bays.

She added: "Many other NHS Trusts and local authorities charge Blue Badge holders to use car parking facilities."

Comments(8)

Hornets number 12 fan says...
10:13pm Fri 25 Jan 13

It's open season on the Sick and the Disabled under the Despicable Tories!

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Mohandas says...
10:56pm Fri 25 Jan 13

How low and money grabbing can the human race sink when those who want to visit the ill are faced with extortionate parking charges? This enough to drive anyone to an early grave and then we will have to pay at the funerals to park.

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Annoyed again says...
10:50am Sat 26 Jan 13

The money from the parking fees at Watford Hospital doesn't even go towards the NHS. Someone, who needs shooting gave the contract to a private parking company and now greed has taken over. Many people have sick relatives who they visit once a day and sometimes more, For the less well off this is simply not viable

Wouldn't the country be a nicer place if we didn't continually have to face this type of parking extortion.

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highhigh says...
7:38pm Sun 27 Jan 13

"The trust, which makes no profit from car parking tickets or fines, claimed the decision was to promote "fairness and equality"" You would have to be crazy to believe this. I think it is disgusting!! Last time i used the car park it was a mess. I actually complained about having to pay whilst visiting the hospital and in the end was told i would not have to – I am not sure if this is still the case. This does not promote fairness and equality whatsoever, it is the road that society including politics is leading (Labour and Conservatives)

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garston tony says...
9:28am Mon 28 Jan 13

Im not sure I totally sympathise, just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you don’t have any money. Or any less money than any other pensioner who might have to visit the hospital but who isnt disabled and has to pay the parking charge. The disabled bays are still there so your actual physical needs are being catered for, don’t actually see why you shouldn’t pay when other people who might be worse of financially do have to.

I do agree that the charge itself is way too steep ( I've had my fair share of issues when visiting a seriously ill family member at the hospital) but don’t see the problem with equality on the charge.

It’s a slight aside but I understand blue badge holders can park on double yellows, you see it often enough. To me that is strange too, surely quite often double yellows are where they are to ensure the flow of traffic and also are sometimes a road safety issue. I appreciate there may be a difficulty walking but why should that entitle someone to cause potential traffic chaos or worse still accidents? I also don’t understand why someone who may be deaf for instance can get a blue badge when they are physically able otherwise. Surely they should be reserved for those who have a difficulty getting around?

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Veritas says...
1:21pm Mon 28 Jan 13

people don't ask to be disabled, it could happen to any of us, so give them a break, of course the badges are abused allegedly in shopping areas, but going to a hospital, hopefully not.

We are told that the Hospital is locked into a long term contract with the parking provider, Why?

Surly there should be an investigation into why this was done, and to see if it can be rescinded?

The idiot who signed the contract should be investigated as to why they signed this long term contract, and what are the benefits, the Car Parks are a real disgrace and run down.

Don't forget in Scotland and Wales they are provided for free!!!!

They can't be that expensive to maintain if private hospitals and Brent Cross are free? its just pure greed and unethetical.

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garston tony says...
1:39pm Mon 28 Jan 13

I'm not saying that being disabled is a nice thing or easy and I didn’t make my comment in the context of a hospital either. I totally agree too that there should be disable parking bays close to the entrances of shops and other facilities etc. I was just querying this right to park in places that are potentially dangerous at worse or inconvenient for other motorists at best.

But there are two issues here, firstly the actual charge which I believe most people would agree is too much.

But seeing as there is a charge the second point is why should disabled people be exempt from it? Their disability doesn’t mean that they are worse off financially than many other visitors to the hospital who do have to pay the charge so why should they get preferential treatment in that sense?

Long term contracts are not uncommon but I agree that this is about profit and nothing else. The charge is just as much about lining the pockets of the contractors directors/owners as it is about being beneficial to the hospital and those it is there to server

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Tara1978 says...
8:20pm Mon 28 Jan 13

I'm a bit confused by this story. There not being enough spaces because of building work meaning those with mobility problems can't walk up the hill is surely a different issue to whether or not a charge should be introduced. The car park charges are extortionate, but I don't agree that because you're a blue badge holder you should be exempt. As tony says plenty of hospital visitors may be far worse and still have to pay.

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