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Nurses welcome free parking at all NHS hospitals in Wales

Final two parking firm contracts come to an end
Free park

Parking at all NHS hospitals in Wales is now free as the last remaining contracts with parking firms have come to an end

Glangwili General
Parking is now free at Glangwili General Hospital, Carmarthen. Picture: Alamy

Nurses have welcomed an end to hospital parking charges across Wales.

A decade after the Welsh Government introduced the unpopular charging policy, parking at all NHS hospitals is now free in the country.

Glangwili General and Prince Philip hospitals, in Carmarthenshire, were the final sites to carry charges. However, after a contract with a parking firm expired at the end of August, it is now free to park at both sites.

Nurses left comments on social media welcoming the end to parking charges.

Consultant nurse Ken Spearpoint wrote on Twitter: ‘Fantastic to see this – good for patients, families and staff.

Ophthalmology nurse Vicky Brotherton wrote: ‘England next please!

Charges for parking at hospitals in England and Northern Ireland still apply.

Of the 14 hospitals in Scotland, only three charge people to use their car parks.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: ‘We are pleased to see free parking is now in place at all hospitals in Wales.

‘Car parking charges are often an unfair expense on people frequently attending NHS hospitals, whether they are patients, staff or visitors.

‘Free parking provides a fairer and more consistent approach to parking policy.’

RCN in Wales director Tina Donnelly also welcomed the news.

‘Due to the unsocial hours that nurses work, they cannot rely on public transport,’ she said.

‘This policy is great news for patients, their families and for health care staff.’   

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