Shropshire hospital car park fees set to rise

Patients and visitors may have to pay up to £4 to park at Shropshire's main hospitals – double the current rate.

Hospital bosses want to axe the current £2 flat rate and replace it with payments based on how long people stay.

The cheapest rate would be £2.50 for one hour, rising to £4 for more than four hours.

But all spaces at the two hospitals will be free for 20 minutes to allow patients to be dropped off more easily.

Telford MP David Wright this afternoon said that all charges should be frozen.

The plans are now out to public consultation, ahead of the publication of an official travel and transport plan later this year.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust says it also plans to introduce a pay-on-exit system to help reduce patients' stress when they arrive at hospital.

A trust report says tariffs have been unchanged for five years, while the new system means that tickets will not run out at midnight as they do currently.

It adds: "We have looked carefully at the feedback we have received from patients, and we believe we should only increase charges if we are giving something back."

But Mr Wright said: "In the current climate the charges should be frozen."

In 2010/11, visitors and patients spent £1,314,035 to park at the two hospitals.

People can e-mail their views to consultation@sath.nhs.uk by July 24.

By Chris Burn