Car parking was free during the earlier part of the year at Harrogate Hospital for both staff and visitors. That changed on 23 September, when charges were re-instated for all with the ticketed parking for visitors and staff parking at the normal rate of £50 per month.
In November 2020, a Liberal Democrat motion to support and encourage NHS Hospital Trusts to provide free parking for staff was unanimously supported by North Yorkshire County Council.
County Councillor Geoff Webber (Lib Dem Bilton & Nidd Gorge), who moved the proposal, commented:
I am delighted that this proposal has received unanimous and cross-party support. It is the least we can do to show our appreciation to the front-line NHS staff who daily put their lives at risk for the community.
Full text of the motion in November 2020:
That this council makes known to all NHS Hospital Trusts in North Yorkshire that this council supports and encourages free on-site parking for frontline NHS staff at their place of work for the duration that covid-19 places a strain on the NHS. We also invite them to consider how parking policy and grants for using sustainable travel options for NHS staff can best achieve a long-term aim for carbon reduction and sustainable travel across our county.
Currently the Harrogate District Foundation Trust are sticking to their decision to keep parking charges – the motion from NYCC is only advisory.
The trust hasn’t commented 0n the further motion, but have previously acknowledged that the return of charges were unwelcome, but necessary to manage a limited number of spaces.
Boris & his bunch of merry men have said whilst Covid is STICKING around NHS Staff parking charges are being squashed & rightly so !!!!
So WHAT is Harrogate hospitals’. game ?
DOESNT Harrogate Hospital appreciate its staff ?
And follow the Government’s guidelines & STOP charging staff. For the foreseeable future
I think staff parking should be FREE .Why should you have to pay for working.It’s totally disgusting.
Yes, parking charges are necessary to manage a ltd number of spaces. I have had dozens of appointments at 5 local hospitals and it is always challenging to find a parking space and often queuing for 30 mins to get in the car park. Chronically ill patients have to take priority.
What the hell kind of nonsense is this? No wonder the NHS cannot keep good staff. Employees should never pay to park at work. Idiots.
I worked a number of shifts in Harrogate A&E during the first wave of Covid. Free parking was a nice touch that made it worth my while driving the relatively long distance I did. A great Department with really nice staff. The reintroduction of parking charges is one reason why I won’t make the journey any longer. I can work from home now for PHE for almost same wage, in the comfort of my own Dining Room. CDDFT should be ashamed of themselves.
HDFT have recently ask its pay monthy staff to donate their car park fees into the Hospital Charity Fund….. this is so they feel better about themselves charging staff to park when no other Trust does!
Disgrace
Parking should remain free for NHS, PERMINANTLY . Why should they have to pay to work for the public community
If it’s necessary because of space, then staff should have their payments refunded. Quite simple really.
Nice to see a hospital doing its level best to drive its staff away, making money off employees that come to work and donate their services is a disgusting move, what next follow the example of airlines and charge patients for food? Everyone on the trust board that thinks they should be charging people working at the hospital parking fees should be ashamed of themselves and should tender their designations since the are obviously out of touch with reality.
Residents parking bays on “The Saints” have been requisitioned by the Trust for Hospital staff parking. Cars display permits to that effect. Do the NHS staff parking all day in these bays pay £50 a month for these permits ? Are their plans to reimburse residents for the cost of these bays ?