COVENTRY North West MP Taiwo Owatemi challenged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the ‘extortionate’ parking charges for NHS staff at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW).
Ms Owatemi, a former NHS Senior Oncology Pharmacist, said parking charges cost a full-time UHCW staff member £600-a -year, adding the fees were ‘hammering’ people in Coventry while they were already facing a cost-of-living crisis.
Car parking was made free for all NHS staff during the pandemic but the Department for Health Social Care decided to end this measure at the start of the year.
When quizzed about the parking charges in Parliament, Mr Sunak pointed to this pandemic policy and the fact parking was still free for workers on night shifts.
Ms Owatemi said: “After two years of a pandemic, we owe our NHS workers a huge debt.
“Thanks to their extraordinary efforts, they saved thousands of lives despite short staffing and severe personal risk.
“I have written four times to different Health Secretaries, asking them to take action regarding the extortionate parking charges for NHS staff in Coventry but I have been repeatedly ignored.
“This charge is simply unacceptable.
“It makes no sense that whilst parking is free for staff who work night shifts, other staff still have to fork out.
“It means an effective £600-a-year pay cut for NHS staff which will only further undermine NHS morale, making it even more difficult to retain experienced staff, let alone fill the 100,000 vacancies in our health service.”
Ms Owatemi has launched a petition calling on Health Secretary Steve Barclay to scrap the charges.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust said: “A large proportion of our car parks form part of a Private Finance Initiative contract and as a result we generate minimal car park revenue directly from staff, patients or visitors.
“We work very closely with our PFI partner to minimise the impact of charges by providing a subsidy. As per national guidance, free parking is available for staff who are Blue Badge holders or those who work night shifts.
“Any further subsidies would take money from budgets used for patient care. Money generated from parking fees goes toward essential running costs of the car parks and surrounding areas, including maintenance, security, lighting, improvements and increased capacity.”
