Hospital parking charges were introduced couple of decades ago, perhaps with the good intention of stopping commuters and shoppers, free lodgers who were occupying these spaces reserved for the sick and the disable visiting hospitals while on shopping expedition.
Slowly but surely these noble intentions were converted into money-making scheme, especially after these parking lots were handed over to private contractors to manage, mainly on hefty rent charge or on profit sharing basis. These charges are going up and up practically every year and last year was no exception.
Although charges may vary from one NHS Trust to another, minimum charge most of us regularly pay is some £6 an hour, so often our long visit to see a close family member, to spend some quality time with them, may cost visitors £20 or even more. This is nothing short of punishing the sick, “Milking Misery!”
Few years back I was paying £50 for a weekly pass when one of our family members was a long term hospital patient. I wonder how much it would cost now. Unlike the presumption prevailing in the society, most Asians may be comfortable but definitely not rich who could afford to spend some £200 per month on parking, besides other expenses one may have to fork out for long hospital stay.
The worse aspect of this money making scheme is that even hospital employees, including nurses are not spared ever increasing charges, although most of them earn well below £30k, the minimum pay needed to survive, stay afloat in London while annual pay of top executives average £3 million, in ever widening gap between “Rich and Poor, Have and Have Not” generation!
No wonder some of these hospital staffs, especially nurses, have to queue outside “Food Bank” to make the end meet, feed the family. It must be humiliation beyond imagination for these honest, public-spirited, hard working nurses to be part of deprived society members living on financial edge whom they serve diligently day in, day out! What has happened to British sense of justice, land of milk and honey where no one goes hungry!
Kumudini Valambia
By email
