Jeremy Hunt under fire as hospitals make £116m in car park fees despite bid to end sick tax
Levy has become 'serious burden' for patient as MPs say charges represent a 'smack in the face' for Health Minister
HOSPITALS raked in a record £116.2million in car parking fees over the past year, despite the Health Secretary’s vow to end the tax on sick charges.
The Sun first highlighted the issue in 2014 as part of our “Rip Off Britain” campaign.
Jeremy Hunt responded by issuing new guidance in August 2014 calling for hospitals to cut or axe fees for visitors to patients gravely ill or enduring extended stays. At the time he blasted: “Patients and families shouldn’t have to deal with the added stress of unfair parking charges.”
But the figures have continued to rise since.
Shockingly last year’s real figure is thought to be as much as £190million - as only 102 out of the 165 NHS Trusts responded to The Sun’s Freedom of Information request.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, who chairs the Health Committee, said: “For some people it has become a really serious burden - and there must be a way of addressing that.”
She added hospitals need to take “a much more compassionate and flexible approach”.
Heart of England NHS Trust pulled in the most revenue, earning £3.5million from the “tax on the sick” charges.
The Trust runs the Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands Hospital and Solihull Hospital in the West Midlands.
England is the only part of the UK where hospitals routinely charge for parking.
Labour MP Frank Field said: “It is £116million of shame and it is a smack in the face for Jeremy Hunt.
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“We need to move in the next Health Bill to compel their abolition.”
Earlier this month, The Sun revealed that one in three hospitals has ignored the Government crackdown and hiked rip-off parking charges in the past year.
The average rise for a one hour stay was 15 per cent last year.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said The Sun’s probe highlighted the “shocking reality about car parking charges”.
She went on: “They are taking money from the sick and vulnerable to top up NHS coffers. This is not what car parking charges should be used for. The onus on meeting the NHS funding crisis should not be shouldered by the sick, injured and vulnerable.
“Car parking fees need to be scrapped or strictly capped.”
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron described the charges as a “stealth tax on the sick and their families”.
He added: “It’s a disgrace people are still having to pay rip-off car parking fees to visit their loves ones in hospital.
“The Government must get to grips with this issue and tackle the broader funding crisis facing the NHS.”
A Department of Health spokesman said: “Patients and families shouldn’t have to deal with the added stress of unfair parking charges – we have clear guidelines for NHS organisations that we expect to be followed, so hospitals should put concessions in place for those who most need help including disabled people, carers and staff who work shifts.”