Hospital visit leaves Rob exhausted

Mr Mitchell, of Corbyn Road, Dudley, has been forced to undertake the gruelling walk to Russells Hall Hospital and back, after his wife Gwen was rushed there last Wednesday night. The 74-year-old, who can walk only with the aid of a stick, has been driving to a friend's house in The Oval and making the trek to visit his sick spouse from there.

He was forced into making the drastic step after forking out £8 to park at the hospital.

Despite his car displaying a blue sticker to indicate he was a disabled driver, he was shocked to discover he still had to pay £5 when his wife was first taken to the hospital and then a further £3 after he returned home to pick up some of her belongings.

Mr Mitchell is now calling on hospital bosses to offer free parking, or at least reduced parking charges, so people like him can afford to visit loved ones in hospital.

"I am visiting her twice a day and I don't know how long she is going to be in there," he said. "I just can't afford to keep paying the parking charges.

"I'm a disabled pensioner and there must be lots of other people like me. Where do do they think we're getting our money from?

"Walking is a burden because my legs aren't the best any more but I don't have any alternative."

Malcolm Davis, councillor for the St James' ward, described the parking situation at the hospital as "scandalous" and said it was poorer people who were being hit the hardest.

"I think it's absolutely disgraceful that vulnerable people are being ripped off in this way," he said.

"Exploiting poor and sick people is about as low as you can get. It is daylight robbery of the worst possible kind."

Hospital spokeswoman Suzanne Fothergill said the hospital had no concessionary schemes for pensioners but added that there would be one introduced in the future for long-term patients.

Anyone on a low income needing help with the parking charges might be able to claim them back by visiting the hospital's general office, she said.