COVENTRY'S SUPER HOSPITAL'S PARKING CHARGES SLAMMED IN ONLINE CAMPAIGN

AN INTERNET campaign slamming high parking charges at Coventry’s University Hospital has been backed by thousands of people.

Members of the Socialist Party formed the “Stop the £2.7 Million Parking Robbery at Walsgrave Hospital” group on social networking site Facebook.

Last year car park chiefs, at the super hospital in Walsgrave, raked in £2.7million in parking fees – the second highest amount in the country.

More than 3,000 people have already joined the online group and a further 2,000 signatures have been collected on a petition.

Councillor Dave Nellist (Soc, St Michaels) said the response to the campaign site has been “overwhelming”.

He said: “We had public meetings in different parts of the city and one of the biggest issues coming up was the cost of parking at the hospital.

“We thought launching this online campaign would be a good way of bringing the community together and encourage people to submit to the national consultation.

“And the petition we have been doing on the streets has given us a massive head start.

“Nurses were among those stopping to sign in the city centre. One told us that staff have to pay for parking in advance but are still not guaranteed a parking space.”

Cllr Nellist said that the petition would either be presented at a council meeting, at a health scrutiny meeting or at a University Hospital board meeting.

“It’s important to note that this PFI (Private Finance Initiative) agreement is not only effecting us, but our children and grandchildren will also be paying for it,” he added.

“We should find a way of funding public and private transport to help get people in and out of hospitals.

“We pride ourselves on having a free health service, well it is not free if you pay for parking. At the moment this is a tax on the ill.”

Hundreds of messages have been posted on Facebook.

One resident said: “Through my ongoing ill health problems I have to visit various departments on a regular basis, over the past few years I have been admitted several times.

“My family have had to fork out quite a few pounds on parking charges. I am disgusted that a privately-run firm can coin it in to the tune of several million pounds.

“I class it as a tax on the sick and infirm, I would even go as far as saying taxing the relatives of the dying – shame on them.”

Another said: “When my 16-year-old son was in hospital for three weeks, for the car park charges, food and drink the total bill came to well over £250. How is that justifiable?”

ISS Mediclean was given the right to run the car parks in return for part-funding the new hospital under the PFI).

Money made on parking fees, which range from £3 to £10 a day, goes to ISS, but they have to account for costs including full repairs and maintenance over a 35-year period.

ISS Mediclean spokesman Craig Smith said: “All the details agreed in the PFI still stand and until that changes there’s nothing further we can do.”

Scotland has already abolished parking fees at hospitals while the Welsh government announced plans to phase them out by 2011.

A consultation as to whether charges should continue in England is running until February 23.

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