Patients at odds over Lincoln hospital disabled parking charges
Local residents and NHS patients are clashing over claims that local hospitals should scrap parking charges for disabled people. As reported previously, the Labour Party today attacked NHS trusts that charge Blue Badge holders to park at their sites. Shadow Health Minister Justine Madders labelled the charges “a disgrace”, stating disabled people often have no…
Lincoln County Hospital. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Local residents and NHS patients are clashing over claims that local hospitals should scrap parking charges for disabled people.
As reported previously, the Labour Party today attacked NHS trusts that charge Blue Badge holders to park at their sites.
Shadow Health Minister Justine Madders labelled the charges “a disgrace”, stating disabled people often have no choice but to drive to hospital.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust’s Lincoln, Grantham and Boston sites were among the 11.5% found to be imposing fees on all patients.
ULHT argued that the concessionary car parking charge of £1.50 per day, introduced in 2014, was required to maintain services such as security, barriers, ticket machines and lighting.
The story first published on The Lincolnite received a wave of responses – but not all agreed that the charges and disabled parking arrangements at Lincoln County Hospital were fair:
Discrimination?
Lincoln resident John Hauton told reportersthat he and his wife, who are both disabled, travel to Lincoln County Hospital several times each month.
He said: “For me there is a lot more to the problem of hospital parking for disabled people. I would be happy to pay for parking, but the bigger issue is there are very rarely any spaces available to us in the first place.
“There have been occasions when we have made the journey to Lincoln County only to find there are no spaces. So we have had to cancel our appointment altogether and go home. Then that messes everyone else up too.
“My wife has severe mobility issues, so we cannot park far away from the hospital doors.
“Last time we went there were actually porta-cabins taking up the disabled parking spaces.
“If I had £5 for every time the spaces were full of cars without blue badges I’d be a very rich man.”
John broke his back a number of years ago and his wife also suffered severe injuries as a result of a car crash. John’s hospital trips increased after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and went into septic shock three years ago.
“We don’t even bother driving ourselves now,” he added. “We take a taxi to the hospital, which costs about £15 a time from our home.
“I feel like people, including the trust, don’t understand what it’s like to be disabled and they are discriminating against people by not providing adequate facilities.”
Allison Wilkes said: “We already pay for a blue badge. It’s not fair when you have a lot of appointments at the hospital.”
Steve Adamson said on social media: “A number of disabled people have to spend a disproportionate amount of time in NHS facilities due to their disability. As with anyone requiring ongoing treatment, the NHS should have a sliding scale of payment.”
The Disabled in Lincoln group also commented on The Lincolnite’s story: “People don’t choose to be disabled. Many have unseen conditions, are heavily medicated which often causes as many problems as it solves, in pain, constantly judged for something they have no control over even by other disabled people who think they’re disability is more important or is somehow equally meaning if they can you can.”
“Why shouldn’t you pay?”
Some readers took the stance that all patients, or none, should pay a fee. Dom Desforges said in reaction to the story: “If you’re taking up a parking space, why shouldn’t you pay just because you are disabled? You already get priority parking.”
Emma Louise, who said she was a mother of a disabled child, agreed, She said: “Yes, they should [pay] and that’s coming from the mother of a disabled child.
“That’s what the benefit system is for and whilst I appreciate that they may have to visit hospitals regularly, there are other people who do not come into the disabled category but have to visit far more regularly and they have to pay full whack. The whole system needs to be made fairer.”
William Witson added: “I am a blue badge holder if am honest I wouldn’t park at the hospital full stop.
“If your disabled like me and your on PIP ect the you can get a bus pass. If I needed to go to the hospital I would just take the bus because it’s free and you wouldn’t have to park at the hospital. Should they pay am not sure can agree on both sides but bus for me.”
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
It has been a tragic week with three deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads after two male motorbike riders and a man on a pedal bike lost their lives.
The roads are now busier again after further lockdown restrictions were eased on April 12, but since then three men have sadly died.
A man died after falling from his pedal bike in Branston on Wednesday, April 14 and police said his death is not being treated as suspicious.
On the same day, a 34-year-old male died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle. The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
A 54-year-old man from North Lincolnshire also died after his motorbike crashed with a Royal Mail post van on the A631 near Glentham at around 4pm on Thursday, April 15.
This comes after it was revealed on March 11 that for the first time in over three decades nobody had died on the county’s roads in the first months of the year, according to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
Lincolnshire Police revealed earlier this week that between 2018 and 2020 twenty five motorcyclists lost their lives on Lincolnshire’s roads.
There have been 285 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and eight COVID-related deaths so far this week – a 7% drop in cases and one less death from the previous week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 32 new cases in Lincolnshire, eight in North Lincolnshire and three in North East Lincolnshire.
On April 16, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two hospitals this week so far, compared to none this time last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 2,596 to 4,383,732, while deaths rose by 34 to 127,225.
In local news, Lincolnshire health bosses expect COVID-19 cases to rise in our region as lockdown is eased, but are optimistic that if numbers are kept low enough, then people will be free to enjoy the summer.
Andy Fox, Deputy Director of Public Health at Lincolnshire County Council, said the lifting of coronavirus restrictions this week had not caused any specific concerns yet.
Since Wednesday, Greater Lincolnshire has again seen a decrease in its infection rates overall, against an increase nationally.
All districts have seen a fall in their rates, except small increases in North Lincolnshire and South Holland. Lincoln has stayed the same and has the lowest rate in the region.
Boston has the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Greater Lincolnshire and is ranked 9th in the UK.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 16:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 9 to Apr 16. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
England’s R number has dropped slightly to between 0.7 and 1 according to the latest data this week. This means for every 10 people infected with COVID-19, they will pass it on to between seven and 10 others.
The new Indian variant of the COVID virus that’s been detected in the UK has all the hallmarks of a very dangerous virus.
It has two new significant mutations in the spike protein that help it infect cells and evade the immune system.
People are “likely” to need a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine within 12 months of getting the first two, Pfizer’s chief executive has said.
Dr Albert Bourla said a booster jab could be necessary “somewhere between six and 12 months” after the second one – and every year thereafter.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, April 16
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,919 cases (up 43)
41,028 in Lincolnshire (up 32)
9,275 in North Lincolnshire (up eight)
8,616 in North East Lincolnshire (up three)
2,185 deaths (up three)
1,613 from Lincolnshire (up three)
304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (no change)
810 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,383,732 UK cases, 127,225 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
Plans to demolish part of a former play centre and Chinese takeaway to build 41 new student flats, have been submitted to the City of Lincoln Council.
Killingbeck PLG has applied for permission to demolish “most” of the existing facade of the former home of Imagination Station and Big Wok, on Beaumont Fee, and rebuild it as part of the development.
The main hall, a warehouse and a recently built “link block” to the rear of the building will also be demolished, and will be completely replaced with a new extension.
In documents to the council, the applicant describes how the 41”study bedrooms” will be en-suite and open off a central circulation area.
The build will form part of the Iconinc post-graduate residential units development next door and will sit opposite the Park Court student accommodation on Park Street.
It will include 12 apartments on the ground floor, 11 at first and second floor and seven units on the third floor.
How the build could look.
The application said: “There is a clear need for good quality, post-graduate, city centre, residential accommodation and the economic case for the redevelopment of the site is reinforced by the fact the site can be linked with the new Iconic development so amenities can be shared.
“The demolition of the existing property and the proposed redevelopment will bring positive benefits to the area economically and aesthetically.”
As part of the build, residents will gain shared access to existing facilities including the gym.
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