THE chief executive of East Cheshire NHS Trust has cited ‘staff inequality’ and pressure from unions as main reasons for bringing in parking charges at Knutsford Community Hospital.

John Wilbraham attended Knutsford Town Council’s meeting on Monday night to address concerns of members and the attending public in relation to changes at the Bexton Road hospital.

Mr Wilbraham said there were three main reasons behind the trust’s decision to charge a £2.20 minimum for on-site parking, the first being to reduce the misuse of the car park by non-visitors and the second for the investment in land and facilities.

He said the third reason was that unions felt it unfair that staff on other sites had to pay for parking while their colleagues in Knutsford and n Turn to page 6 Congleton did not have to fork out a fee.

Mr Wilbraham said that staff would not pay the same rate as patients and would pay between £6 and £20, dependent upon salary.

Clr Yvonne Bancroft suggested that a scheme whereby staff would pay and display and free parking would be retained for patients would help resolve this situation.

In response, Mr Wilbraham said: “The cost of someone controlling the car park, it is more cost effective if charges are in place for all of the cars parking there.”

Clr Julian Goodrich said he found the staff inequality issue ‘fairly unbelievable’.

“The private sector doesn’t seem to have the same problem,” he added. “Staff will just park on the road – it is just human nature. I find that it is a very weak argument; that everybody should have to pay.

“It strikes me that the scheme will actually discriminate against the elderly and infirm who can’t walk the distance from Booths, where it is 40p to park. It is just ridiculous.”

Members asked Mr Wilbraham whether a waiver could be put in place for a short period of time, so that patients with regular appointments lasting 15-20 minutes would not be hit with the ‘unfair’ charges.

“If you are working, a small amount of money may not be too bad,” said Clr Bancroft.

“But I do think the fact that a lot of the visitors are elderly people going for regular blood tests and are on low income should be taken into account.”

Mr Wilbraham said a free parking element for short stay appointments is something that he will be bringing back to the board at the end of the month.

A petition has been set up opposing the charges, which has been signed by almost 500 people. The petition will be presented to the trust’s board at their next meeting on January 29.