Free hospital parking for some NHS patients and visitors to be rolled out from April

Blue badge holders and patients who must regularly attend appointments for long-term conditions will get free hospital parking under the plans outlined by the Government.

Taking action on hospital parking charges was one of Boris Johnson's key election pledges.

All hospital trusts will also be expected to give free parking at specific times to parents with sick children staying overnight and staff on night shifts.

Welcomed

The change has been welcomed by charities and patient groups but it could impact on the finances of trusts, which manage their own car parking arrangements and reinvest the profits into frontline care.

The Department of Health said it was not setting aside funding to reimburse trusts but a spokeswoman said "they will be supported" to ensure the policy does not affect care.

Trusts in the Black Country and Staffordshire raked in £11.4 million from parking charges during 2018/19.

It costs around £5 on average to park for four hours at West Midlands hospitals. Critics have labelled parking charges as a "tax on the sick".

Blue badge holders currently have to pay full rates at most Midlands hospitals.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell and Birmingham City hospitals, said it would apply the changes but would have to "make financial provision" for them.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Stafford's County Hospital and the Royal Stoke Hospital, said it was too soon to say how it would be affected.

A Sandwell trust spokeswoman said: "The trust has held car park prices steady for a number of years and offers extensive concessions and free parking arrangements.

"It is clear that the Government plans to extend these schemes next year and we will apply those arrangements after we receive guidance and have made financial provision for them."

Gwen Nuttall, chief operating officer for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross, said: “The trust has a number of existing car parking concessions in place, including a reduced charge for patients receiving cancer and any other long term treatment.

“We will work to ensure that all patients are charged appropriately while visiting our hospital sites and will review the recommendations in any new national guidance.”

Harrowing

Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North and a former NHS trust board member, has campaigned for fairer parking charges at Russells Hall Hospital.

He said: "I had some of the most harrowing comments when people saw I was campaigning on this.

"When you hear stories of people spending hundreds of pounds to watch their loved one die it's absolutely harrowing. It can't be right, the system needs to change."

Dr Moira Fraser-Pearce, a director at Macmillan Cancer Support, welcomed the announcement but called for other Tory promises to be implemented to see a "sorely needed" boost to the size of the NHS workforce.

"Cancer can be a huge burden on your finances and in England hospital car parking charges - especially for those undergoing regular treatment - can add significantly to this strain," she added.

"This long-awaited announcement will be a game-changer for many, allowing them to attend appointments and focus on their health without the extra worry about their finances."