12:20pm Thursday 26th February 2009
By Gina Bebbington
THE Guardian is launching a campaign to scrap the controversial parking charges at Northwich’s infirmary.
The sheer weight of public opinion against the fees, which were introduced in April last year, is astonishing, and barely a week goes by without letters, emails and phone calls about them to our offices.
Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall has also thrown his weight behind our campaign.
He said: “I’m very happy to support this campaign.
“I do think the fees are too high – it just stands out compared to the kind of charges at Halton and Warrington.
“It’s expensive after 20 minutes and we want to revert to where it was 12 months ago.”
The charges are £3 for more than 20 minutes, £5 for more than four hours and £10 for more than 24 hours.
“Patients on a low income or in receipt of certain types of benefit or pension may be able to receive help with the cost of parking and people needing renal dialysis or long-term cancer treatment do not have to pay.
“Visitors collecting death certificates will also be exempt.
But readers who have contacted the Guardian, including former town mayor Dorie Willington, say this is not enough.
The charges have been branded a tax on the sick, forcing elderly or ill people to pay for parking if they suspect they will be any longer than 20 minutes.
The infirmary car park is now also the only car park in Northwich where people have to pay.
This is forcing many people to park in the surrounding residential roads, leaving homeowners fuming. Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust brought the charges in to fund maintenance and security and bring the infirmary in line with Leighton Hospital.
Dorie, who was a nurse at the Victoria Infirmary for 25 years, said: “£3 can go towards anything, even food if you’re a pensioner. It’s just not on and it infuriates me.”
To join our campaign simply fill in one of our petition forms, available in the paper or at our office, and return it to Gina Bebbington at the Northwich Guardian, 3 Theatre Court, London Road, Northwich, CW9 5HB.
We will collect these forms for two months before giving them to Mike Hall, who will present them in Parliament.
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