Patients forced to pay more at hospital car park

[dutchman]

Coventry and Warwickshire’s sickest patients – and their relatives – will be forced to pay more to park at University Hospital.



Hospital bosses have secretly got rid of a cap on how much frequent visitors to the Walsgrave site have to pay a year.

It’s the second time the hospital has made a controversial decision about unpopular parking charges without telling patients.

The Telegraph has learned that in April managers decided to get rid of a limit which meant patients with chronic illnesses who are regular visitors didn’t have to spend more than £150-per-year on parking.

But they didn’t announce it.

It came barely a year after the Telegraph exposed how the Coventry hospital had secretly signed a deal with contractors to keep parking prices high.

Hospital bosses yesterday defended the move, saying they were facing a “tough financial climate”.

But critics slammed the decision to remove the cap as a “tax on the sick”, claiming it would hit the most vulnerable hardest.

Coun David Welsh, chairman of Coventry City Council’s health watchdog, said: “I understand the hospital are under a lot of financial pressure but I think they could have been more open with patients. I can’t believe they thought this would go unnoticed forever.”

Two years ago, 3,000 people signed a petition against University Hospital’s lucrative parking charges, which pulled in £2.7million per year.

Hospital bosses placated the protesters by promising to review the charges when their car park contract came up for renewal.

However, weeks later they secretly extended the contract during a private meeting.

They did not admit the deal until forced to by a Telegraph investigation eight months later.

Hospital bosses apologised for not telling the public and promised furious patients and politicians they would learn from their mistake.

Three months later they redeemed themselves by cutting parking charges for the first time.

Car park campaigner Coun Jim O’Boyle said it was “bizarre” for the hospital to throw away the goodwill it had earned by lowering parking fees.

He said: “There is nothing worse than people taking decisions behind closed doors, it raises the question why they have done it.’’

Coun O’Boyle said he sympathised over the financial pressure facing University Hospital, but he did not think raising parking charges or removing the cap was the answer.

University Hospital insists scrapping the cap will only affect one in every 5,000 patients.

But as the trust treats more than 800,000 cases per year that still means 160 of the most vulnerable patients could be hit, plus friends and relatives.

A spokesman for University Hospital said the board made the “difficult decision” faced with a “tough financial climate”.

He said the board felt it was unnecessary to announce the change as it affected so few patients, who could benefit from other concessions such as the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme, but the decision would be reviewed periodically.

He stressed the hospital had reduced parking charges last year, benefitting the majority of patients and visitors, and was creating more spaces to ease congestion.

The changes will not hit free parking for patients on chemotherapy, radiotherapy and renal dialysis or parents who stay in hospital overnight with sick children.

University Hospital is currently battling to save £28million for the second year running to hit government efficiency targets.

[dutchman]

MP to challenge decision to abolish cap on parking fees at Coventry University Hospital

A COVENTRY MP has vowed to write to bosses at University Hospital to challenge their secret decision to abolish a cap on parking charges.

Jim Cunningham (Labour, Coventry South) is furious the hospital scrapped the £150 cap in April without telling patients.

Hospital bosses only admitted to the controversial change after being questioned by the Telegraph.

As we revealed yesterday, it is the second time in as many years that hospital bosses have hushed up a decision over their unpopular car park charges.

Last year the Telegraph exposed how they misled protestors and signed a secret deal to keep parking charges high– just weeks after promising to the review them.

Our exclusive story sparked such anger that hospital bosses were forced to lower parking charges.

Mr Cunningham said: “They have not learned from their mistakes.

“I would have thought they should have honoured their commitment to a public consultation before making a change like this.”

The £150 cap protected patients and people visiting seriously ill relatives from running up enormous bills at the hospital car parks.

It was seen as a vital concession because many frequent visitors to hospital – those with chronic conditions, carers and pensioners – survive on low incomes and cannot hundreds of pounds in parking fees.

However, University Hospital has been ordered to save £28million for the second year running to meet government efficiency targets.

Those challenges could even jeopardise the hospital’s bid to become an autonomous Foundation Trust, which is vital to its future.

That means bosses face tough decisions about what they can afford.

However, Mr Cunningham believes removing a cap on parking fees will have a much bigger impact on vulnerable patients than it will on the hospital’s financial position.

“Paying more to park on top of increases in fuel charges will make it very difficult for patients to use the services they need,” he said.

“The hospital should be doing all it can to support its regular patients. I will be asking them to think again.”

A spokesman for University Hospital told the Telegraph the board did not think it necessary to announce the removal of the cap as it only affected a small number of patients.

He said the hospital had cut parking fees last year.

Removing of the cap has not affected free parking for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and renal dialysis patients or parents who stay overnight with sick children.