Infirmary parking plea heard in Parliament (From Northwich Guardian)

Northwich infirmary parking plea heard in Parliament

11:51am Thursday 2nd July 2009 in News By Gina Bebbington

THE Guardian's plea to Scrap the Fees for parking at the Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN) has been heard in the House of Commons.

More than 7,100 residents backed our campaign against the parking charges and Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall presented the petition in Parliament yesterday, Wednesday.

He said: "Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced car parking charges at the Victoria infirmary, Northwich.

"After the first 20 minutes, patients and visitors now have to pay £3 for parking.

"The Victoria infirmary is the only public facility in Northwich that charges for car parking, and I congratulate Gina Bebbington and the Northwich Guardian on their campaign against those charges and on collecting a petition of 7,108 names, calling for car parking charges at the Victoria infirmary, Northwich to be scrapped.

"The petition states: To the House of Commons The Petition of residents of Northwich, and others, declares that the car parking charges of the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at Victoria Infirmary, Northwich are excessive and represent a charge on people accessing National Health Services.

"The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to take whatever action possible to require the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to remove the unfair car parking charges at Victoria Infirmary, Northwich."

The petition will now be presented to the Department of Health and the Health Select Committee.