Strong Backlash against hospital parking charges
Dundee City Council Liberal Democrat Finance Convener Cllr Fraser Macpherson today (Friday 19th May) said he had received strong feedback from his constituents in the City's West End and this was "unanimously against" the NHS Tayside proposals to increase parking charges at Ninewells Hospital.
Cllr Macpherson said that constituents felt that the proposals represented a stealth tax on patients, patients' visitors and staff at the hospital and there was great concern that large increases in parking charges would have the detrimental effect of adding to the existing parking problems in streets in the West End as motorists try to avoid paying the charges.
"Its clear that many people feel it is morally wrong to be imposing these levels of charges on hospital patients and visitors," said Cllr Macpherson.
Cllr Macpherson said he felt the Ninewells parking issues were part of a wider concern about the cost of parking at hospitals right across Scotland and he urged action on the part of Health Minister Andy Kerr to build a coherent strategy for hospital parking in Scotland.
"There is increasing disquiet about the increasing charges for parking for patients and patients' visitors not just here in Dundee but right across the country," said Cllr Macpherson. "Health provision is supposed to be free at the point of delivery but it appears patients have to pay increasing sums simply to park near that point of delivery. There is something deeply wrong with what is essentially a tax on needing to attend hospital or visiting a loved one who is ill," concluded Cllr Macpherson.