21 May 2008
On 21 May Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey announced that cancer patients having chemotherapy or radiotherapy will no longer pay hospital car-parking fees. Next of kin or partners of a critically ill or high dependency patient will also receive free car parking.
Echoing Macmillan's Better Deal campaign, the Minister said: "At the moment, many patients suffering from cancer and other serious conditions are entitled to free parking, however, there is no consistency across Northern Ireland. It is essential that very ill patients who attend hospital on a regular basis do not have the additional stress of worrying about paying for car parking."
Macmillan's General Manager for Northern Ireland, Heather Monteverde welcomed the Minister's decision saying: "It is absolutely wrong that any cancer patient - regardless of income - who is undergoing regular treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease should be forced to pay for unavoidable travel and parking costs."
Macmillan is continuing to campaign for parking charges to be scrapped for cancer patients in England and in Scotland is urging the Scottish Government to introduce a mandatory exemption from car-parking fees for cancer patients.
Monday, 03 March 2008
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced that car parking charges are to be scrapped in all Welsh hospitals by 2011. And from 1 April this year, free parking will apply at all NHS hospitals, except where Trusts have external contracts in place.
Macmillan Cancer Support has long been campaigning for the abolishment of hospital car parking charges. We also are working towards:
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all patients undergoing treatment for cancer being eligible for assistance on a non means-tested basis under the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS)
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the HTCS being better publicised and reimbursement arrangements simplified
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cancer patients travelling to hospital for cancer treatment being exempt from all charges and tolls for using roads, tunnels and bridges.
Macmillan Cancer Support now hopes the Department of Health in England will follow the example set by the Welsh Assembly Government and scrap charges for patients attending hospitals in England.
Commenting on the progress, Macmillan Cancer Support's General Manager for Wales, Cath Lindley, said: 'Macmillan Cancer Support wholeheartedly welcomes today's announcement and congratulates the Minister for listening to Welsh cancer patients who have long been calling for parking costs to be scrapped.
'On average cancer patients make 60 trips to hospital from diagnosis to treatment to follow up, and as a result they are hit particularly hard, both financially and emotionally, by travelling costs and unfair parking charges. The announcement today will go some way towards reducing the financial burden that can come with a cancer diagnosis.'
Macmillan Cancer Support launched its Better Deal campaign in 2004 to help people cope with the financial costs that come with a cancer diagnosis. Two of the biggest extra costs that cancer patients must deal with are the costs of travel to and from hospital for treatment, and the cost of parking at hospital. In fact, 70% of cancer patients face extra costs just to get to their treatment. Although there are schemes in place to help these are not always well promoted and not all patients are entitled to assistance.
How you can help
We need your help to encourage the government to follow this example, and please tell your friends, family and colleagues to support this campaign, too!
If you haven't already done so, please support our campaign to scrap hospital car parking charges
Please forward any responses you receive from hospitals to campaigns@macmillan.org.uk.