Sunday 13 April 2014

Let's end Parking Charges at Hexham Hospital


This week I have called for an emergency meeting with hospital chiefs where he will ask them to consider scraping parking charges at Hexham Hospital.

I have joined forces with Hexham West councillor Colin Cessford who says the parking charges are leading to "misery being endured by patients and visitors alike."
The time is right to review the hospital parking policy after free parking was introduced in the town. As Colin says: "Now we finally have free parking in the town's car parks, there really is little justification for parking charges at the hospital. It isn't fair on patients and their families to have to pay such high charges."

Bosses at Hexham Hospital recently revealed they will be scrapping the current "Parking Eye" system which relies on automatic number plate recognition. However, no changes were announced to the charges incurred by patients and visitors. I personally would like to see parking charges scrapped all together.

It has been suggested that parking at the new Hospital at Cramlington will be free. If that is the case, coupled with the fact that our other car parks in the town are free, then I think there is a very strong case for scrapping parking charges at Hexham Hospital. Cllr Cessford and I are calling for a meeting with hospital bosses in a bid to get a review of the charging regime.