Parking fees waived for very ill

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7413189.stm

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Seriously-ill patients and their families will not have to pay for hospital car parking in Northern Ireland, the health minister has said.

Among those who will benefit will be people suffering from cancer.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey introduced the changes after carrying out a review into hospital parking.

He said individual health trusts would have to decide on charges for patients and visitors who have to make lengthy or frequent visits to hospital.

Patients suffering from cancer, and requiring chemotherapy or radiotherapy and those receiving renal dialysis will not pay car parking fees.

Similarly, the next of kin or partner of a critically ill or high dependency patient will also receive free car parking.

"At the moment, many patients suffering from cancer and other serious conditions are entitled to free parking, however, there is no consistency across Northern Ireland," he said.

"It is essential that very ill patients who attend hospital on a regular basis do not have the additional stress of worrying about paying for car parking.

"It is also important that the next of kin of critically ill or high dependency patients, who may be spending long periods in hospital, should not have to pay for parking. "

The minister was speaking at Craigavon Hospital, where he also announced an additional 160 free car parking spaces for the site representing an investment of £450,000.

In addition, there will be a further 150 new spaces by end of June and another 100 spaces by the autumn, bringing the total number of car parking spaces to just over 1,310.