HOSPITAL CAR PARKING

That this House notes that people living a long distance from their local NHS hospital have great difficulty in getting to appointments on public transport; further notes that this is of particular concern to people living in rural areas; is aware that an out-patient with brain injury living 40 miles away from her hospital would have had to travel for two hours by public transport; understands that travelling by car took that patient half of that time; recognises that such patients have no other choice but to get to their hospital appointments by car; acknowledges that as a consequence, such patients are unfairly hit by hospital parking charges; and urges the Government to scrap car parking charges in NHS hospitals in England.