Hastings & Rye Lib Dems celebrate hospital parking charges victory

Local Liberal Democrats are celebrating the news that East Sussex Hospitals Trust is to introduce 'pay as you leave' parking at the Conquest and the Eastbourne District General Hospitals in the Autumn, despite having decided in March 2009 to postpone the plans for a year.

Responding to the Trust's statement, Nick Perry, the Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye said,

"This is a wonderful start to the process of change that is necessary in order for local people to get a fairer deal on hospital parking charges.

"I want to say a big thank you to all those people who have contacted Margaret Williams and I to share their stories, and their determination that there must be change.

"I am pleased that the Liberal Democrats have been able to play a part in helping the Trust to understand just how unfair the local community feels these charges, and their enforcement, have been.

"The introduction of 'pay as you leave' parking is an encouraging signal from the Trust, before our cross-party meeting at the Conquest on 12 June. But it must be the first of a number of steps.

"At the meeting on 12 June I will be putting forward further proposals, which include: a review of pricing; the need for clarity in respect of which grades of hospital staff are paying for parking, and a review of whether staff should be paying at all.

"I hope that these proposals will receive the backing of the other political parties.

"In the medium term, we hope that it will be possible to consider an initial free period of parking, for which the visitor, patient or carer is not charged at all," said Nick.