Parking fees hike at New Cross Hospital to fund medics

A hospital boss today defended a controversial rise in car parking charges, telling patients he needed the money to pay the wages of 10 more consultants.

David Loughton insisted funding cuts meant he had to increase revenue from car parks in order to fund vital medical care on the wards.

New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton has increased fees by 50 per cent, doubled the cost of a one-hour stay and scrapped free parking for the disabled.

Its charges are now similar to other hospitals across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, which have been accused by patient groups and MPs of cashing on on the most vulnerable.

But New Cross chief executive Mr Loughton said he and other hospital bosses were faced with a stark choice.

He said the new parking fees will raise £1.6 million a year, money he will use for 10 consultants to cover weekends.

He said: "I'm not after stopping people parking or reducing public parking, but I've got to save £15m this year and next year.

"At the same time I need to employ 10 more consultants because we want to bring our weekend mortality rates down.

"National statistics show you're 13 per cent more likely to die in hospital at a weekend. The NHS is a Rolls Royce service 35 hours a week. Outside of that it is a lesser service. At weekends there aren't the same specialists available and I want to do something about that. I've got to put another £1.5m into nursing as well."

MPs today called on hospitals to lower their parking charges. Gavin Williamson, Tory MP for South Staffordshire, said: "Withdrawing the free parking from people with disabled badges doesn't seem fair."