WORKERS at Coventry’s University Hospital will be hit by a whopping 40 per cent rise in car park charges next week.
And fees will go up again in April in line with inflation.
Bosses at the Walsgrave hospital – which is still battling to claw back the £8.5million budget deficit it ran up last year – say they can no longer afford to subsidise staff parking.
That means doctors, nurses and support staff will have to pay either £90 or £126 more a year, depending on how much they earn.
One member of staff said workers at the hospital were disgusted. He said: “We’re appalled. We’re being asked to pay more just to come to work and we’re not even guaranteed a place to park. It comes at a really bad time for us as we’re not getting a pay rise so it’s really tough on everyone.To make things worse we’re being told there will be another rise in April.’’ Unions have vowed to fight the move, claiming it effectively cuts the pay of hundreds of staff because their wages have been frozen.
Ian Crich, University Hospital’s executive lead on parking, said: “We appreciate that this may be unwelcome news for those of our staff who park but we hope that they understand that we are looking at all ways to reduce costs without impacting on patient care.”
The hospital is one of Coventry and Warwickshire’s biggest employers with more than 6,000 staff.
About 1,600 of those currently park on the hospital site in Walsgrave.
The PFI contract - which saw companies finance the hospital in return for lucrative maintenance deals - means the car parks are maintained and managed by a firm called ISS.
Its contract guaranteed the fees it received from the car parks would rise in line with inflation.
For the last two years the hospital has met the price hikes out of its own pocket instead of passing the cost onto staff. Bosses say they are now subsidising staff parking to the tune of £330,000 ever year.
Mr Crich said: “Given the tough economic climate the trust cannot afford to continue to do this has decided to increase the amount staff pay to park.”
The new parking charges will come into force on February 1.
Staff who earn less than £23,000 will see their annual charge rise from £210 to £300 or from £17.50 to £25 a month.
Those earning more than £23,000 will pay £440 a year (from £26.17 to £36.67 per month) instead of £314.
