‘Unfair’ to continue charging healthcare staff for car parking: Alex Easton

The reimbursement of parking charges was announced by the Health Minister Robin Swann in March, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but they were recently reintroduced.

Alex Easton has called for the “unfair” charges should be dropped while the second wave of Covid infections continues, and that consideration should be given to scrapping them altogether.

“I have always said car parking charges for health staff are unfair, and it is time something was done about it,” the North Down MLA said.

“We have situation were the [health] trusts are charging staff to park at their places of work right across all trusts. I believe this is totally unfair especially for the work they do on our behalf. No employer should ever charge staff to have to come to their work place, and to find a car parking space, which can’t even be guaranteed.”

“I am today calling on the health minister to stop this unfair practice as a matter of urgency. It is time to give something back to our health staff instead of just taking.”

The Unison union position is that “hospital parking should be free for NHS staff” across the UK.

“The pandemic has proved that it is possible for trusts to let staff park for free and we want to see this continue after the crisis is over,” the union said.

Launching the initial scheme in March this year. Mr Swann said; “I fully support our HSC staff and want to acknowledge the hard work and long antisocial hours that staff are working at this time. Reimbursing car parking charges is one small measure that I can introduce immediately”.

Yesterday, a Department of Health spokesman said: “The matter is currently under review and an announcement is expected shortly.”