Hospital parking fees in Sandwell to rise by up to 20 per cent
Hospital patients and visitors in Sandwell face shock rises of up to 20 per cent in parking charges.
Sandwell General and City Hospital in Birmingham will see charges rise from April under a new parking scheme, which a patient group has described as "unbearable".
Hourly rates for parking at the two hospitals will increase, as will the cost of pre-paid car parking tokens. The cost of parking for 24 hours will remain the same.
Under new plans from the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospital Trust, only the first 15 minutes of parking will be free for drop-offs, rather than the 20 minutes it is currently, and the cost of parking for the first hour at the two hospitals will rise by 19 per cent from £2.10 to £2.50.
Parking for two hours will increase from £3.10 to £3.50, for four hours it will go up by more than 10 per cent from £3.60 to £4 and for five hours from £4.10 to £4.50.
The cost of buying pre-paid parking tokens will rise by 20 per cent, and those wanting to park will be able to buy five tokens for £10.
Brian Childs, chairman of patient group Upper G.I. Blues said: "We consider this to be an unbearable charge on the sick."
The trust was unavailable for comment.
