Hospital parking: Time for NHS trust to search its soul, says MP

Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust introduced new charges for disabled blue badge holders at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals.

Motorists are now charged £2 for parking for up to one hour and £2.80 for longer.

Charges increased for drivers without a blue badge, from £1.30 to £2 for up to one hour and from £4.10 to £5 for between two and four hours.

Ms Sherriff met with Stephen Eames, chief executive of The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, to share her concerns on Friday.

And Mr Eames has now agreed to discuss the increase in parking charges at the trust’s next board meeting.

Ms Sherriff said: “It is a good start and I would like to think they will consider the implications the decision has made on disabled people.

“People have turned up at my office in floods of tears and others have said they’ll miss their appointments. I am appealing for the trust to do some soul searching and do the right thing.”

The blue badge parking charges and new charging system at Dewsbury hospital came into force in September.

Mr Eames said: “We had a productive meeting with Ms Sherriff and discussed the car parking charges as part of this.

“The MP asked for her concerns about the charges for blue badge holders to be raised with the trust board.

“We agreed she could attend a future meeting and put forward her views in person.

“Introducing a capped car parking charge of £2.80 for blue badge holders means we can invest in parking provision for this group of motorists across our three main hospital sites.”