West Suffolk Hospital staff in Bury St Edmunds to stage protest over reintroduction of parking charges
West Suffolk Hospital workers will stage a protest this week against the reintroduction of staff parking charges.
The protest, announced by union UNISION, will be on Hardwick Heath at 12.30pm on Wednesday after the Bury St Edmunds hospital’s trust decided free parking for staff will end from July 1.
Free parking at the site was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
This funding came to an end last March and since then West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has absorbed the cost of staff car parking.
UNISON said the trust wants to bring in charges at a flat rate of £2 a day from 1 July and has warned lower-paid staff will be hardest hit.
The trust is offering workers shuttle buses from off-site car parks, but these will not be available to staff working long shifts, said UNISON.
Staff launched a petition against the charges, attracting more than 1,500 signatures, which the union will hand to trust bosses on Wednesday, urging them to at least delay the reintroduction of fees until a fairer system can be worked out.
Caroline Hennessy, UNISON Eastern head of health, said: “NHS workers face enormous pressure every day they go to work, with understaffing, low pay and lack of resources making it harder and harder to keep up the amazing service they provide.
“But instead of offering thanks and support, West Suffolk Hospital bosses want to pile more pressure on their hardworking staff.
“This plan to reinstate parking charges belongs on the scrapheap.”
During the lunchtime rally, staff will call on trust bosses to change their mind about the charges.
Last week, a trust spokesman said: “Free car parking arrangements for NHS staff, introduced during the pandemic and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, came to an end on March 31, 2022 and since then, our trust has been absorbing the costs of staff car parking.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to continue absorbing these costs.
“We understand that reintroducing car parking charges is not a popular decision, and it was not an easy one to make, particularly in the context of pressures of the cost of living.
“The trust operates a free shuttle bus service for all staff from two locations in Bury St Edmunds through to the hospital site.”
On Saturday, nurses working at West Suffolk Hospital criticised the parking policy at the site, which means that staff who started there after 2014 are not entitled to a permit.
Three nurses contacted SuffolkNews, anonymously, to highlight the issue believing they are being treated unfairly by West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
