The government have been urger to U-turn following reports suggesting that free parking for NHS staff is planning to be scrapped in England. Tara Pilkington reports.
Newspapers in England have recently reported plans from the Department of Health and Social Care which suggested that free parking would only continue for “key patient groups and NHS staff in certain circumstances”.
In a statement on 3 July, health minister Edward Argar said that nothing had changed on free parking for staff, but that this had only been made possible because of support from local authorities and independent providers. He added that “this support cannot continue indefinitely”.
However, Nicky Morgan, a former cabinet minister and senior Tory party member, has sparked some confusion regarding this after rejecting the idea and claiming that no decision had been made. She commented saying that there was “no foundation” to these reports.
A DHSC spokeswoman has said: “When the pandemic begins to ease, the NHS will continue to provide free hospital car parking to key patient groups and NHS staff in certain circumstances. We will provide further updates on this in due course.”
Ignoring the contributions of staff
However, the British Medical Association council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul has said that any plans to reintroduce charges would be a: “rebuff to the immense efforts of staff across the country and the sacrifices they have made to keep others safe.”
Commenting on the news that these charges may be reintroduced, Nagpaul said: “The BMA has always believed that it is unacceptable for staff who serve in our health service to be required to pay significant amounts of money to park their car in hospital grounds.”
He added: “This is even more salient as the nation recognises the immeasurable contribution of healthcare workers in fighting this pandemic.”
Online, many people have reacted to this news by highlighting the irony in participating in the performative gesture of clapping for healthcare workers one day, to then force them to pay for parking at work the next.
