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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Hospital parking 'a tax on sick' | Hospital parking 'a tax on sick' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The British Medical Association (BMA) has demanded car park charges are scrapped at Welsh hospitals, claiming they are "a tax on the sick". | The British Medical Association (BMA) has demanded car park charges are scrapped at Welsh hospitals, claiming they are "a tax on the sick". |
| Welsh Assembly Government figures show NHS trusts took £5.4m last year, but that does not include private firms running car parks on their behalf. | Welsh Assembly Government figures show NHS trusts took £5.4m last year, but that does not include private firms running car parks on their behalf. |
| Hospitals say the money is needed to cover maintenance and security and any surplus goes to patient care. | Hospitals say the money is needed to cover maintenance and security and any surplus goes to patient care. |
| Health Minister Edwina Hart will make a statement on charging reform next week. | |
| Dr Richard Lewis, Welsh secretary for the BMA, said: "Charging people to park at hospitals is an indirect tax on healthcare. | Dr Richard Lewis, Welsh secretary for the BMA, said: "Charging people to park at hospitals is an indirect tax on healthcare. |
| "These days, the vast majority of people who attend hospital clinics do so by car. | "These days, the vast majority of people who attend hospital clinics do so by car. |
| "Often, these people have to attend several times during treatment and the costs mount up. It's iniquitous that they have to pay to access hospital care. | "Often, these people have to attend several times during treatment and the costs mount up. It's iniquitous that they have to pay to access hospital care. |
| "Patients and visitors will be shocked to learn that NHS trusts are making thousands of pounds a year, without any significant benefits. | "Patients and visitors will be shocked to learn that NHS trusts are making thousands of pounds a year, without any significant benefits. |
| TRUST PARKING INCOME Bro Morgannwg: £579,303Cardiff and Vale: £680,581Carmarthenshire: £225,020Ceredigion: £14,858Conwy & Denbighshire: £423,793Gwent Healthcare: £973,808North East Wales: £571,171North Glamorgan: - North West Wales: £100,000Pembrokeshire and Derwen: £51,800Pontypridd & Rhondda: £349,825Powys LHB: - Swansea: £1,483,706Velindre: - Figures do not include income received by private companies providing services at hospitalsWhere no figures are included, the trusts do not charge for car parkingSource: Welsh Assembly Government/Estate and Facilities Performance Management System. | TRUST PARKING INCOME Bro Morgannwg: £579,303Cardiff and Vale: £680,581Carmarthenshire: £225,020Ceredigion: £14,858Conwy & Denbighshire: £423,793Gwent Healthcare: £973,808North East Wales: £571,171North Glamorgan: - North West Wales: £100,000Pembrokeshire and Derwen: £51,800Pontypridd & Rhondda: £349,825Powys LHB: - Swansea: £1,483,706Velindre: - Figures do not include income received by private companies providing services at hospitalsWhere no figures are included, the trusts do not charge for car parkingSource: Welsh Assembly Government/Estate and Facilities Performance Management System. |
| "Wales should stop this tax on the sick." | "Wales should stop this tax on the sick." |
| The figures were obtained by the BMA in a written response from Mrs Hart to Conservative Jonathan Morgan, who called the charges a "rip-off" and "totally unacceptable". | |
| "We must ask ourselves whether we want a healthcare system free-at-the-point-of-use or not," he added. | "We must ask ourselves whether we want a healthcare system free-at-the-point-of-use or not," he added. |
| "They are also an added tax on staff who, in many remote parts of Wales, simply have no alternative to the car." | "They are also an added tax on staff who, in many remote parts of Wales, simply have no alternative to the car." |
| The figures show Swansea NHS Trust collected £1,483,706 in charges in the last financial year. | The figures show Swansea NHS Trust collected £1,483,706 in charges in the last financial year. |
| Gwent collected £973,808 and Cardiff and Vale £680,581 although that did not include income from the car parks at the University Hospital of Wales and St. David's which are managed by a third party. | Gwent collected £973,808 and Cardiff and Vale £680,581 although that did not include income from the car parks at the University Hospital of Wales and St. David's which are managed by a third party. |
| Three trusts, North Glamorgan, Powys and Velindre do not charge for car parking. | Three trusts, North Glamorgan, Powys and Velindre do not charge for car parking. |
| A spokeswoman for Swansea NHS Trust said nearly half the money collected was spent on staffing the car parks, maintenance and night-time security. | A spokeswoman for Swansea NHS Trust said nearly half the money collected was spent on staffing the car parks, maintenance and night-time security. |
| "The remaining £766,063 was ploughed back into patient care," she added. | "The remaining £766,063 was ploughed back into patient care," she added. |
| "Care has been taken over charges for car parking in Swansea, to ensure that those who need to come to hospital regularly pay as little as 72p a day." | "Care has been taken over charges for car parking in Swansea, to ensure that those who need to come to hospital regularly pay as little as 72p a day." |
| Your views on car parking charges at hospitalsIn pictures | Your views on car parking charges at hospitalsIn pictures |
| Simon Williams of Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said: "The trust introduced a car parking strategy following consultation with relevant parties including both Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan community health councils and trade unions. | Simon Williams of Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said: "The trust introduced a car parking strategy following consultation with relevant parties including both Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan community health councils and trade unions. |
| "The charges are used for on-site security and patrolling of car parks, improving signage and upgrading facilities across sites." | "The charges are used for on-site security and patrolling of car parks, improving signage and upgrading facilities across sites." |
| All revenue received from parking at the University Hospital of Wales is retained by the private finance initiative provider Vinci Park (Cardiff) Ltd and no revenue goes to the trust, a spokeswoman said. | All revenue received from parking at the University Hospital of Wales is retained by the private finance initiative provider Vinci Park (Cardiff) Ltd and no revenue goes to the trust, a spokeswoman said. |
| Julie Evans, 43, a ward manager at University Hospital of Wales, backed the BMA's stance. | Julie Evans, 43, a ward manager at University Hospital of Wales, backed the BMA's stance. |
| Aware | Aware |
| "It's awful because you get people and their relatives who are long-term patients and that is their main concern sometimes. | "It's awful because you get people and their relatives who are long-term patients and that is their main concern sometimes. |
| "A lot of them don't have much money or are on social security. When people are ill it's the last thing you want to think about." | "A lot of them don't have much money or are on social security. When people are ill it's the last thing you want to think about." |
| She said parking charges for staff added up over a year, and although staff could park more cheaply, if the staff car parks were full they had to pay the same amount as visitors, which was around three times as much. | She said parking charges for staff added up over a year, and although staff could park more cheaply, if the staff car parks were full they had to pay the same amount as visitors, which was around three times as much. |
| An assembly government spokesperson said Ms Hart was aware of concerns over the cost and was commited to reform charges for hospital parking. | An assembly government spokesperson said Ms Hart was aware of concerns over the cost and was commited to reform charges for hospital parking. |
| "Ms Hart will make a statement on how she intends to take that forward to improve the situation for patients, visitors and staff next week." | "Ms Hart will make a statement on how she intends to take that forward to improve the situation for patients, visitors and staff next week." |