Residents dismay at '˜tax on sick' as Doncaster hospitals increase car parking charge

Shocked residents have hit back at the decision to increase parking charges at the borough's hospitals, calling it a '˜tax on the sick'.
Doncaster Royal InfirmaryDoncaster Royal Infirmary
Doncaster Royal Infirmary

Commenting on Faceboook, Dave Farrell called for the car parking charge to be scrapped altogether: “It should be free. It’s day light robbery, ban all charges.”

Steve Dickinson simply said: “It’s a tax on the sick”.

Others urged people to take advantage of the park and ride service, which takes people from Doncaster Racecourse, Leger Way, to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Thorne Road, for free

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Adrian Lyttle said: “The park and ride runs every 15 to 20 minutes. It’s an excellent service. I use it all the time with my wife who’s blind.

“More people should use it and they should make staff use it as well. Instead of giving them their own special reserved spaces, make them disabled spaces.”

One resident agreed, but said the cost hike would see an added pressure being placed on the service.

‘Greg N Amanda Wait’ said: “It is ridiculous. They’ve trebled the cost to people with unallocated parking spaces too, to £45 a month or £70 a month for allocated, that’s £540/£840 a year.

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“I use the park and ride. It takes no extra time. But, I take the 7.50am four or five days a week and it is packed every day.

“I hope they are thinking of putting on a double decker or extra buses because we aren’t all going to fit.”

However, Kelly Mcdonald pointed out that there is no park and ride available at weekends or nights. The service currently operates between 5.50am and 10.15pm every week day.

Kerry Pickles added: “What about staff who work at different sites? Will we have to pay the £45 twice?”

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Meanwhile, Gemma Collette Smales said: “If you can’t get parked in a staff space there’s no refund.”

A spokesman for Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said staff who pay for unallocated parking are not guaranteed a space, but workers will be issued with a permit so they will not have to pay to park at each site individually.

Dawn Jarvis, Director of Strategy and Improvement at the Trust, added: “The amount staff pay for unallocated parking spaces will increase from £16.67 to £45 per month; staff with allocated spaces will rise from £21.67 to £70 per month.

“However these costs can be greatly reduced through the offer of a salary sacrifice scheme. We encourage staff and public to take advantage of our free park and ride service.”