More than half of cancer patients in England are still not benefiting from free or discounted parking when they visit hospital, despite Government guidance recommending this for people with long-term illnesses.
A survey by Macmillan Cancer Support found that only 23% of cancer patients had received free parking at their hospital, with a further 18% paying a discounted price. The remaining 59% are still paying the full parking fee when attending hospital for treatment or check-ups. It is concerning that people with cancer experience extra costs such as car parking during their treatment. Government guidance recommends that patients with long-term illnesses should be granted free or discounted parking, but the guidelines are not compulsory and many hospitals have chosen not to implement the scheme. The survey also found that hospitals which do have a concessionary scheme often fail to let patients know about it. Twelve per cent of respondents who said they could have received free or discounted parking revealed that they did not take up the offer because they only found out about the scheme after their treatment had ended. Furthermore, only 23% of those surveyed by Macmillan were aware of the Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme – which was set up to help fund the cost of travel to and from hospital for people on lower incomes. Mike Hobday, head of policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, commented: “The entire hospital parking system is an appalling, disjointed mess, which causes cancer patients unnecessary financial hardship and stress. It’s clear that the Government’s guidance isn’t working and it’s time to scrap this tax on illness for cancer patients in England once and for all.”
