Hard up NHS staff face a whopping £90 million car parking bill from Friday after the Conservatives reintroduced charges.
Figures from NHS Digital show in the financial year 2019/20 - the year before charges were lifted for the pandemic - health workers paid £90.1 million in car parking fees.
Workers in the Midlands paid out the most, forking out £18 million in the year, followed by the North West (£17 million), then the North East and Yorkshire (£16 million).
- MIDLANDS - £18MILLON
- NORTH WEST - £17 MILLION
- NORTH EAST AND YORKS - £16 MILLION
- SOUTH EAST - £11 MILLION
- EAST OF ENGLAND £10 MILLION
- LONDON - £8 MILLON
- SOUTH WEST - £8 MILLION
Following sustained pressure from GMB Union, the Government suspended car parking charges for health workers during the pandemic.
But from Friday [1 April] NHS workers across England will once again be forced to pay to park at work, after Health Secretary Sajid Javid quietly announced they would be reintroduced.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said:
“It’s almost like the Health Secretary has a personal vendetta against NHS staff.
“During the worst cost of living crisis in a generation he’s hell-bent on forcing them to swallow yet another real terms pay cut.
“Now follows the real insult to injury, he’s making them pay to park at work.
“Health workers are on their knees following a two-year pandemic – they need help and support, not being repeatedly kicked when they are down by the Government.
“GMB calls on the Government to restore this funding and on employers to do the right thing and scrap the reintroduction of local parking charges.”
