Anne Main MP comments on hospital car parking increases

Anne Main MP comments on new car parking tariffs at St Albans City Hospital.

Anne said:

“Prior to the change of Government, I met with Mr Filochowski and he made it absolutely clear that to deliver free car parking, as the previous Government announced, would have meant large sums of money being diverted away from patient care, which was obviously unacceptable. I believe patient care is more important than delivering subsidised car parking.

“I am given to understand that the current car parking provision makes a loss because land has to be rented to provide parking facilities and a parking scheme has to be administered. Obviously, in these dire financial times, it is inevitable that parking charges will remain and must reflect the cost of the facility. However, I was pleased that Mr Filochowski did say that there would be significant concessions for groups of people such as those receiving renal dialysis and visiting intensive care and neo-natal facilities.

“Mr Filochowski has agreed that it is important that all those who are entitled to concessions are made fully aware of them and he agrees with me that he must ensure information is made freely available about the concessionary scheme so that no patient who is entitled to a discount is disadvantaged, and he will be putting measures in place to ensure this happens.

“Making the best use of the scant public resources available is imperative, and it will be difficult to achieve cost improvements. This is a tough decision, but I recognise measures must be taken to protect spending on front line services.”