I am disappointed that patients in Neath Port Talbot will not benefit from today’s One Wales Government announcement abolishing hospital car park charges. The realisation of this One Wales commitment is very welcome indeed, but I feel compelled to question the competence of Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust, who have signed a contract with car parking companies that means patients in Neath Port Talbot will continue to be charged for parking at our hospitals.
We are not discussing a contract lasting a few months or even a few years. Bro Morgannwg are in a binding contract with car parking companies until 2032 which means that they are now unable to respond to the change in direction provided by the new Government of Wales. This is mismanagement of our public services. I will be contacting the Trust to seek clarification of their contract, and to discuss whether or not the terms of the agreement can be changed. I believe that this is a positive measure from the Government. For patients who have to attend repeat consultations, or for families visiting patients on a regular basis, such charges are unviable and unfair.
Jenny Randerson AM has waded in to the debate, saying that this will take away from front- line care, but once we enter the debate over charging for health care, we will end up on the slippery slope of allowing it to be the norm. This should not be the case.
In any case, it seems ironic that the Lib dems have been somewhat negative in their response to this announcement, when they were ready to jump on the bandwagon in Cardiff against the rise of NCP car parking charges.
1 comment:
I suspectyou may find that the car parking contract at Neath Port Talbot formed part of the PFI approved by the Labour Government in 1999/2000 and that is why it is such a long one. Personally I support the removal of charges but I cannot help but think that it was done on the cheap and that really WAG should have replaced the lost revenue, that is why Jenny Randerson says that front line services may suffer. There are also individual cases in which the dropping of car park charges may have an adverse effect on the hospital. Singleton for example may become a free car parking area for students and workers at the University. The Trust will need to find mechanisms to prevent that happening.
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