Matthew Knott

Today, the British Medical Association has demanded an end to car parking fees at hospitals as explained in this BBC article. 

Free parking is great, but the NHS makes £4 million annually from these charges. As we constantly hear about the debts that the NHS and hospital trusts are in, surely it would only make matters worse to remove that source of income from them.

On the radio today, a BMA representative was outlining his reasons for removing parking fee's. One contradictory point the interviewer did not pick up on was that firstly, parking fees dissuade visitors to the hospitals, then mentioned that you have to drive around looking for a space currently. 

I've got to point out that if people are no longer dissuaded then traffic volumes will go up, so you will still have to drive around but probably end up parking illegally within the carpark, or worse, as with the local hospital here, park on the main road, again illegally.

Secondly, if visitors have to struggle to find a space now, if a hospital wanted to expand their car parking facilities, how will they fund this? Drop their expensive renal or brain surgery unit? I think not. 

In an ideal world, the NHS would be organised, efficient and well funded, but it's none of those things and taking this money will only make things worse. 

I think the BMA has just become one of those bodies who look to instill a change publicly, when really they could end up making things worse, removing money from hospital budgets to pay for specialist consultants.

These things usually blow over after a week or so anyway, so hopefully we'll hear no more of it.

Tags: BMA British Medical Association NHS Parking Cars Hospitals