Anger over car parking fee increase at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital
Plans to increase car parking fees at Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital as part of a raft of cost-saving changes were today branded “unacceptable” by one of its governors who has now pledged to resign in protest.
Charges will go up at the site from April in a move aimed at bringing in more than £300,000 a year.
The proposals were revealed as part of wider plans by bosses at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust to save £15 million in 2014/15.
But Bill Etheridge, who sits on the trust’s council of governors, said the plans were “disgraceful” and he could not support the move.
“The introduction of yet more parking fee increases is totally unacceptable to me,” he said. “This is a tax on the sick and their families at a time when people in Dudley are struggling to make ends meet
“I am resigning as a governor in protest at this disgraceful extra cost being loaded on to the people of Dudley at a time when they are most in need of support.”
From April it will cost £5.50 for people to park for more than three hours – up from £5.40. This is on top of the planned cut in the length of free parking from 30 minutes to 10 minutes.
It will now cost £1 to park for up to 30 minutes, when previously there had been no charge.
Under the plans, parking for up to an hour will be increased to £2 from £1.30.
The fee for up to one and a half hours will be £3 – up from £1.90, while the cost of parking for up to three hours will rise to £4 from £3.20.
Acute trust chief executive Paula Clark said: “We do not take decisions to increase charges to patients lightly and this brings the cost of our parking in line with many other trusts locally.”
Meanwhile plans to reduce the opening hours of the canteen at Russells Hall Hospital – which could result in the loss of up to 64 jobs – have come under fire from union chiefs.
The canteen, run by the hospital trust’s private partner Interserve, will shut on weekends if the proposals are approved. Unison regional organiser Tracy Wood said: “We are extremely disappointed that Interserve have decided to take this decision.
“We will support and advise our Unison members in the coming weeks and work with the employer to try and minimise job losses. Every one of these hard-working staff will have a home or a family to support and this couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“Not only will the decision result in job losses but hard-working NHS staff and visitors won’t be able to purchase a freshly cooked hot meal on site after 2.30pm.”
Interserve spokesman Emma Hemmings confirmed that 64 part-time and full-time workers could be affected by the changes.
She said: “Interserve is committed to supporting its staff during this difficult time and will be working with any affected employees to find alternative job opportunities wherever possible.” She added: “Due to the changes being implemented to catering services at Russells Hall Hospital, Interserve has commenced a consultation period with the catering team.
“Until the 30-day consultation process is completed and all employees have been given the opportunity to respond, it is not possible to confirm the exact number of jobs that will be affected.
“There are already a number of existing vacancies in other areas of service delivery at the hospital and Interserve will deploy as many employees as possible to alternative positions.”
Hospital bosses today said the Costa Coffee branch would remain open at the site between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday and between 3pm and 8pm on Saturday and Sunday. Chief executive Paula Clark said: “We are working with Interserve to widen the range of food available to include hot snacks, soup and salads. To ensure provision of both hot and cold food and drinks 24 hours per day, the vending facilities within the main restaurant remain unchanged.
“This decision follows a comprehensive review of footfall through the restaurant, which concluded there was very little footfall after the lunchtime service and the uptake at weekends has reduced considerably.” She added: “Any decisions to reduce services or facilities that we provide are very difficult to make but, as our commitment to providing the highest standard of care for patients remains our highest priority, we feel it is better to make savings from non clinical services.”
The trust is facing funding cuts from the Government as the NHS aims to make £20billion of “efficiency savings” by 2015.
Comments for: "Anger over car parking fee increase at Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital"
Chris Whittingslow
No Parking of Waiting the Red Line markings.
Not only do people have to pay for parking, there are 'Red Lines' marked all the way from the roundabout to the front entrance of the hospital, and the rule or law for these 'Red Lines' is no parking or waiting! There are a number of small signs situated around the drive in to the hospital entrance. This throws an insult to the persons who visit or have appointments at the hospital and have to pay for parking when; buses, private cars, and patient ambulances are 'parked' on these lines with out any person taking note of this break in the rules!
The only rule I know of for the use of 'Red Lines' is the stopping and dropping off of disable persons near to where they are going, then moving and parking the vehicle, this can be found in the book given to Blue Badge Holders when getting or renewing their Blue Badge, and is published by HMSO Stationery?
I do not think or believe that these vehicles are except from this ruling? I ask that some one to investigate more.
Pete
THE BEST WAY TO REDUCE COSTS IS STOP PAYING "NON CLINICAL" MANAGERS AND DIRECTORS MASSIVE SALARIES ! IN MY LAST JOB THERE HAS BEEN REDUNDANCIES EVERY YEAR FOR YEARS SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LEFT HAVE TO PICK UP THEIR DUTIES WITH NO EXTRA PAY ! It would be interesting to see the salaries for "non clinical" staff. UNTIL THIS COUNTRY STOPS TREATING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TAX PAYING OR BRITISH CITIZENS THERE WILL NOT BE AN END TO THIS, STOP THE SO CALLED "HOLIDAY PATIENTS" WHO COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO BE TREATED THEN GO BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY !!!!!!!
lee whittaker
i live in dudley i go to the hospital a lot this paula clark what planet is she on doesnt she think its hard enough you have to pay to go to the hospital in the first place some one or companey is makeing a lot of money from this sick people haveing to pay to visit a hospital just another way of gettin money out of you this paula clark and her massive pay salarey she is on plus bonuses i darednt say shes on as well. get rid of her an her cronies pay her and her cronies minumum wage see how she wud cope . you need to hang your heads in shame never mind puttin it up get rid of driftwood and use that money startin at the top thats you paula clark an your cronies who are on ridiculous salaries shame on you .
Linda Hudson
Bill Etheridge, a man of principle and susbstance!
HL
I wholeheartedly agree with Pete.
Also what patients need are doctors and nurses to look after them and treat them not the likes of Paula Clark and non-clinical managers
Keep our NHS British
BOSTER
No public sector organisation has the right to charge the public for parking. They are our spaces.
Now we see the council painting yellow lines everywhere around the hospital in an attempt to coerce people into using the car parks. Yellow lines should only be used where there is a genuine road safety or traffic flow reason for implementing them. We must all write to our councils resisting these attempts to stop us parking on the highways we own. Pay and display means go away.
Paul
Both councils and the NHS is ripping us off for parking, we've already paid for these spaces through taxes, and they want us to pay again.
If the hospital is short of money, how about getting rid of a few of these overpaid executives?