Manor makes £6m parking income in five years
The trust that runs Walsall Manor Hospital has raked in more than £6 million in parking charges in five years including nearly £5,000 in fines, prompting calls for fees to be scrapped.
Income from parking tickets at Moat Road increased from £1m in 2011/12 to £1.3m in 2015/16.
In total Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, received £6,106,344 in the five period including £4,500 from people being fined for breaching car parking rules.
It comes as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has vowed to scrap hospital parking charges if he gets into No. 10.
Labour Councillor Naheeb Gultasib, who represents the Pleck area on Walsall Council, has backed the idea.
She said: "I follow the party line, I totally agree parking charges need to be scrapped.
"It was one of the main points in our manifesto and it is something a lot of people welcomed.
"The last thing you want to worry about if you are visiting a loved one is parking charges.
"Also the Pleck area is one of the most deprived where people don't necessarily the spare income for it."
Councillor Gultasib also said visitors to the Manor were parking on residential streets to avoid charges, whilst causing large inconvenience for locals.
She added: "I have only been a councillor a short time and this has been the main issue in our area.
"We need to look into something which is viable for the hospital and the residents.
"If that means extra spaces then that would be welcomed but something needs to be done.
"Visitors are parking on side roads in disabled bays meant for residents, but they use them because they have a blue badge and they can.
"The whole parking situation has had a knock-on effect in the area."
Jane Longden, Divisional Director of Estates and Facilities at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said: “Income generated from car parking fees is used initially to fund security, maintenance and upkeep of the car parking facilities and any surplus is used to improve patient care. Car parking fees are reviewed annually and recommendations go through the trust governance process for consideration.”
Last year a petition from Justice For Nurses calling for £180-a-year parking fees for hospital medical staff to be scrapped gained more than 3,000 signatures.
Bosses defended the charges saying most NHS trusts charged for employee parking whilst arguing they were one of the lowest in the region.
