Agenda item

Hospital Car Parking Charges - Board Investigation Final Report

Minutes:

Members considered the report in relation to Hospital Car Parking Charges which outlined the findings and recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Board’s investigation.

It was noted that at the Council meeting on 19^th July, 2017, Councillor P. McDonald proposed the following motion which was seconded by Councillor M. Thompson. “This Council calls upon all local hospitals to stop charging for parking, that in reality was financially punching people for receiving treatment or visiting loved ones”.

Council had felt it would be appropriate to consider the matter further at the Overview and Scrutiny Board as it was an issue which had an impact on local residents.

Councillor S. R. Colella informed Members that the Board Investigation had held three meetings to consider the matter further. A representative from Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust was invited to one of the meetings in order to clarify a number of points raised by Members.

The summary of the findings during the investigations were outlined as follows:

· Concerns were raised that a privatecompany that maintained the parking charging system on behalf of the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust may be generating a profit from charging patients and theirfamilies. Clarity was sought that this was not the case asno external company received a slice of the income from car parking chargesother than the money paid towards the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) costs at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

· The Trust operated all three carparks andother than the money paid towards the PFI costs at the Worcestershire RoyalHospital, any profit generated from parking charges goes towards theoperation of the Trust.

· Concerns were raised regarding concessions and how theywere advertised. Reassurance was providedthat information about concessions was provided on a ward by ward basis andwas linked to a patient’s treatment pathway.

· It was noted that hospital car parking charges had been abolished elsewherein the United Kingdom and that there was a Private Members Bill goingthrough Parliament requesting the abolishment of hospital car parking chargeswhich was sponsored by Labour and Conservative MPs.

· Members’ had discussed the evidence presented and possible ways tochange the system so that car parking charges did not disproportionatelyaffect the disadvantaged. It was suggested for example that potentially thosethat could prove they were receiving Universal Credit could access freeparking, however the possible high costs of administering such a system wasreferred to. It was also commented that people who found employmentstopped receiving Universal Credit and therefore could have no income for aperiod of time and become for example reliant on pay day loans. Other people lived on low weekly incomes and did not have the budget to pay for parking. Itwas recognised that these people would be hit disproportionality by hospitalcar parking charges.

· Although it was acknowledged that abolishing charges would have a financialimpact on NHS Trusts and the government would therefore need to contributeto subsidise NHS Trusts, the principle of abolishing hospital car parkingcharges was felt to be correct.

The Overview and Scrutiny Board therefore proposed that Full Council write to the Secretary of State to suggest that NHS Trust owned hospital car parks should be made free of charge.

The Chairman concluded by thanking everyone involved in the investigation.

RESOLVED that the report and the recommendation included within the report be approved.

RECOMMENDED that Full Council write to the Secretary of State to suggest that NHS Trust owned hospital car parks should be made free of charge.

(During consideration of this item Councillors C. R. Mallett and C. A. Hotham declared an other disclosable interest. As such during consideration of this item they took no part in the debate or voting thereon).

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