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|Research by Macmillan Cancer Support has found that almost 60% of patients are still paying the full price as they travel to their treatment. This is despite Government guidance stating that hospitals in England should offer cancer patients free or reduced parking. We believe cancer patients should not have to pay to park while receiving their treatment at hospital.
Many hospitals do offer reduced rates for cancer patients, but 12% of patients said they only found out about them after treatment.
My wife was being treated for myeloma. It was a 70 mile round trip and then about £40 a week in parking charges. There was no way of knowing what you were going to pay as prices weren’t on display, you only found out when you went out through the exit barrier. I later learnt from another carer that I could have paid a reduced rate, but no one told me about this Colin, 73
My wife was being treated for myeloma. It was a 70 mile round trip and then about £40 a week in parking charges. There was no way of knowing what you were going to pay as prices weren’t on display, you only found out when you went out through the exit barrier. I later learnt from another carer that I could have paid a reduced rate, but no one told me about this
Colin, 73
Our campaigns to end hospital parking charges for cancer patients have been successful across the UK. In Wales, hospital parking has been free since April 2008, except where Trusts have external contracts in place, and these will introduce free parking by 2011. In Northern Ireland parking is now free for chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients.
Parking at Scottish hospitals is now free with the exception of three PFI hospitals, one in Dundee, one in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow. In Dundee, the health authority has their own policy so cancer patients don’t pay.
For more information on a proposed bill that has been lodged in the Scottish Parliament to prohibit NHS Boards from charging patients, their visitors and staff for parking at NHS sites, visit the Unison Scotland website| .
We are now calling for hospitals in England to come into line with the rest of the UK, and provide free parking at hospitals for cancer patients. We are also calling for improved promotion of existing schemes, which could help people with cancer cut the cost of parking charges.
Sign our pledge| to help stop this unfair payment. The more people who get behind this campaign, the more pressure we can put on politicians and officials to take action.
It helps to have real stories from people with experience of this issue. If you've been affected by car parking charges in England let us know.
There are lots of other things you can do to help us boot out car parking charges.
Read our latest report on hospital travel and parking costs [PDF, 216kb]|