Cancer patients to receive free parking at hospital

Kettering General Hospital has some concessions for cancer patients, but the changes mean all cancer patients will receive free car parking

Patients undergoing cancer treatment will be eligible for free parking under changes being introduced at a hospital.

The new policy at Kettering General Hospital, Northamptonshire, aligns with Northampton General Hospital, which provides free parking for cancer patients attending for treatment.

The hospital also has been considering giving additional concessions for parents of children staying on wards overnight and blue badge holders.

Stuart Finn, the director of operational estates and facilities at the hospital, said: "In the interests of fairness and uniformity we plan to update arrangements at Kettering General in line with arrangements at Northampton General from the end of March."

Rosie Wrighting said she had raised concerns from constituents over parking at the hospital

Rosie Wrighting, the Labour MP for Kettering, welcomed the announcement and said: "I am pleased that [Kettering General] will now take the same approach to free parking as Northampton General Hospital.

"This will reduce the financial burden on local patients who are already going through a difficult time."

The hospital has sought planning approval for a seven-storey car park, which would support future developments and increase on-site parking capacity by 662 spaces, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.