Parking charges to be reintroduced at Walsall Manor and Sandwell General

Car parking charges will be reintroduced at Walsall Manor Hospital, as well as Sandwell General Hospital.

Parking remains free at Stafford's County Hospital, while charges for visitors at New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals were brought back in July.

Charges were waived for parking at hospitals across the region during the Covid-19 pandemic shortly after the national lockdown in March.

The Department of Health and Social Care provided funding to NHS trusts across the country to cover lost revenue.

But the financial support has now come to an end, with hospital trusts across the country reintroducing charges in recent weeks.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Walsall Manor, and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which runs Sandwell General and City Hospitals, have confirmed patients will need to pay for parking from Thursday.

At the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which runs New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals, parking charges for the public were reintroduced on July 1, but staff parking remains free.

Meanwhile, at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs Stafford's County Hospital, parking for patients and visitors remains free – but is under review as services are restored.

Richard Beeken, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "We appreciate this will not be a popular decision among our patients and visitors but the Government was very clear that its financial support to NHS trusts would not be able to continue indefinitely.

“What I would say is that we are holding many more phone and video consultations, where appropriate, so fewer patients are having to travel and incur charges. This is also having an effect on our clinics meaning those for whom a face to face appointment is necessary are having shorter waits and report a more efficient service.

“Those entitled to concessions due to their condition or specific circumstances will not have to pay to park.”

Dinah McLannahan, chief finance officer at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: "During the pandemic, we have been able to provide free patient car parking up to October 1, thanks to additional support from the Government.

"During this time, we have substantially changed how we provide consultations using video and telephone technology, to enable many more patients to remain at home rather than to travel to our sites.

"For patients who use our car parks, we intend to re-introduce charges from October 1.”

Lorraine Whitehead, director of estates, facilities and PFI at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said: “Parking for our patients and visitors is currently under review as we continue to restore services at both County and Royal Stoke hospitals but remains free until this process is complete.”

A spokesman for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust added: "We reinstated charges for the public as of July 1, and we haven’t reintroduced staff charging."