Hospital staff to protest against car parking fees

Staff will gather outside Walsall Manor Hospital on Pleck Road on Wednesday afternoon

Staff at two West Midlands hospitals are set to protest against the introduction of fees to park at work.

From 1 November, staff working more than 22.6 hours at Walsall Manor and Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital will face a monthly parking charge of £30, with those working fewer hours charged £18.

The union Unison said the move had gone down like a "lead balloon" and would make "hard-pressed" staff look for work elsewhere.

But the hospital said due to financial challenges it could no longer support free parking for staff.

Workers will gather outside Walsall Manor Hospital on Pleck Road at 13:00 GMT on Wednesday to protest against the decision.

Unison regional organiser Ollie Hopkins said hospital staff "shouldn't have to pay to park" when they go to work.

"The charges in Walsall and Wolverhampton have been reimposed with less than four weeks' notice and that's gone down like a lead balloon with employees," he said.

"This hits low-paid staff such as healthcare assistants, porters and cleaners, many of whom earn just 30p per hour more than the minimum wage."

Parking charges were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, but government funding for this provision ended in 2022.

The trust said charges had been brought back at most sites across the country, and Walsall and Wolverhampton were among the last to do so.

Joe Chadwick-Bell, chief executive of The Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trusts, said it had been an "extremely difficult decision".

Parking spaces would be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, with staff encouraged to use public transport or car share to reduce demand.

"The trust has avoided reintroducing charges for as long as possible, however the financial challenge the trust has means that we can no longer support free parking," Mrs Chadwick-Bell added.

"We are sorry to have to do so from November, but we must ensure our funds are spent on patient care as a priority."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.