Fees fight goes to Parliament (From Northwich Guardian)

Fees fight goes to Parliament

12:29pm Wednesday 25th March 2009 in Hospital Parking Campaign By Gina Bebbington

Guardian chief reporter Gina Bebbington and former town mayor and fellow campaigner Dorie Willington with the Hansard Parliamentary debates report

A GUARDIAN campaign to stop parking charges at Northwich’s infirmary has already been given national recognition.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall raised our Scrap the Fees campaign in Parliament on Wednesday afternoon during a debate about NHS funding.

He has promised to present our petition in Parliament once we have finished collecting signatures but has already raised the issue just three weeks into the campaign.

Speaking in Westminster on March 18, Mr Hall spoke of how the Victoria Infirmary Northwich had been saved from closure and added: “The one fly in the ointment with the arrangement is that Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT has decided to impose car parking charges at the hospital.

“Parking was previously free, as it is in the rest of the Northwich area.

“People will be able to park for free at the hospital for 20 minutes, after which the charge will be £3.

I congratulate the Northwich Guardian, my friend Dorie Willington and the journalist Gina Bebbington, who are campaigning forcefully to get the Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT to remove the parking charges

Mike Hall MP

“That is a substantial increase and a substantial amount of money for people to pay.

“I congratulate the Northwich Guardian, my friend Dorie Willington and the journalist Gina Bebbington, who are campaigning forcefully to get the Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT to remove the parking charges.”

The controversial charges have been a bone of contention to patients since they were introduced, by Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in April last year.

Since we launched Scrap the Fees on February 25 we have already collected more than 1,600 signatures.

To join our campaign just fill in the petition form and return it to Gina Bebbington, Northwich Guardian, 3 Theatre Court, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 5HB.

Readers can also download printable forms and campaign posters on our website northwichguardian.co.uk.