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Free parking plan for in-patients Free parking plan for in-patients
(about 1 hour later)
Health Secretary Andy Burnham says Labour hopes to scrap hospital parking charges for in-patients in England if the party wins the next election.Health Secretary Andy Burnham says Labour hopes to scrap hospital parking charges for in-patients in England if the party wins the next election.
He said patients would get a permit to cover the length of their stay which visitors could use to park free.He said patients would get a permit to cover the length of their stay which visitors could use to park free.
Mr Burnham told Labour's conference the change would be brought in over three years "as we can afford it". But campaigners said the move did not go far enough as in-patients, who tend to require the most complex care, only represent a fraction of total patients.
Aides said it would cost £140m a year which would be paid for by cutting "bureaucracy and back-room costs". Wales and Scotland are both scrapping fees for everyone.
BBC chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said implementing the plan could prove tricky, as more and more hospitals were becoming foundation trusts which ran their own affairs, but the government had indicated it might change the law to force them to do so. This has already happened in most instances, although under the terms of contracts signed with private firms to fund the building of new hospitals it will take several years to ensure parking is free across the board.
Hospital visitors We are disappointed that they have ignored the same high cost of parking charges to those cancer patients having treatment as out-patients Ciaran Devane, Macmillan Cancer Support
Parking charges at most NHS hospitals in Wales were scrapped in March 2008 - although some have to wait for contracts to expire in 2011 - and Scotland abolished charges at most NHS hospitals last December. In England, discounts - and even free passes - are already available for people needing to make repeat visits to hospitals, such as cancer patients.
The issue has proved controversial as some visitors have racked up big parking bills while visiting sick friends and relatives. NHS trusts have always maintained that some level parking charges was necessary to ensure core health funds were not diverted towards managing and maintaining car parks.
In a speech to the Labour conference Mr Burnham said success was "not just about the big things" but the little things which mattered to people. But the variation in procedures across the UK has caused controversy among patient groups.
"When people are coming into hospital the last thing they want to worry about is keeping the car park ticket machine up to date," he said. And even though the health secretary has now intervened, many NHS trusts will still not be compelled to act because they have foundation trust status which gives them autonomy from central government.
New legislation would be required if ministers wanted to force this through.
What is more, in-patients only represent a small number of overall hospital users.
For example, there are about five times as many out-patient visits as in-patient ones.
Nonetheless, Mr Burnham said the move would make a big difference.
"When people are coming into hospital the last thing they want to worry about is keeping the car park ticket machine up to date.
"It's not right if some people don't get visitors every day because their families can't afford the parking fees.""It's not right if some people don't get visitors every day because their families can't afford the parking fees."
He said he would make "year on year savings on back office costs" adding: "We can't do it overnight but over the next three years, if we can afford it, I want to phase out car parking charges for in-patients." Ciaran Devane, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "We applaud the government for recognising the high cost to families visiting relatives in hospitals."
Mr Burnham's aides told the BBC that parking vouchers would be sent out to patients along with the letter telling them the date of their operation or treatment. The voucher could be used by anyone visiting the patient during their stay in hospital. But he added: "We are disappointed that they have ignored the same high cost of parking charges to those cancer patients having treatment as out-patients."
But they said for now there would be no free parking for out-patients attending hospital regularly for their treatment.