MP raises hospital parking concerns

Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust introduced new charges for disabled blue badge holders at Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury Hospitals.

Motorists are now charged £2 for parking for up to one hour and £2.80 for longer.

Charges increased for drivers without a blue badge, from £1.30 to £2 for up to one hour and from £4.10 to £5 for between two and four hours.

Ms Sherriff met with Stephen Eames, chief executive of The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, to share her concerns on Friday.

And Mr Eames has now agreed to discuss the increase in parking charges at the trust’s next board meeting.

Ms Sherriff said: “It is a good start and I would like to think they will consider the implications the decision has made on disabled people.

“People have turned up at my office in floods of tears and others have said they’ll miss their appointments. I am appealing for the trust to do the right thing.”

The blue badge parking charges and new charging system at Dewsbury hospital came into force in September.

Mr Eames said: “We had a productive meeting with Paula Sherriff MP and we agreed she could attend a future board meeting and put forward her views in person.

“Introducing a capped car parking charge for blue badge holders means we can invest in parking provision for this group of motorists across our three main hospital sites.”