NHS hospitals under pressure over parking
A report by the Which? magazine has highlighted a growing problem in the UK NHS system with many hospitals now making significant income from car parking charges and car parking fines. The Epsom and St. Helier University Hospital trust is reported to have clamped nearly 1,700 cars in one year and made a profit of over £1.8 million. However this is just the tip of the iceberg with car parking charges adding more pressure to patients and visitors who are often in difficult situations to start with.
It is unclear exactly what the UK government can do in relation to excessive car parking charges and ultimately it is proving to be a source of finance for NHS trusts around the UK and does take some of the pressure off UK tax payers. However, over the next few weeks we are likely to see some reduction in the NHS budget, despite the fact the NHS is one of the departments which will be "ring fenced", which could lead to further additional charges for patients and visitors.
Many believe that the problems with the NHS can be traced back to the time when NHS trusts were introduced to the frame thereby making each individual area accountable for its own spending and performance.
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