Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hospitals charging disabled drivers to park could be in breach of the law, a leading lawyer says.
Some 37 NHS trusts charge disabled drivers to park, with some saying all drivers should be treated equally.
But disability rights lawyer Chris Fry told BBC 5 live this was a misreading of UK equality law.
The Department of Health said patients who went to hospital often or for long periods had a right to fair and appropriate car-parking concessions.
Of the 116 hospital trusts in England that responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the BBC's 5 live Investigates programme, 37 said they currently charged disabled drivers to park.
For a two-hour appointment, the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro was the most expensive, charging ?4.80 for two to four hours parking.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20628873
Some 37 NHS trusts charge disabled drivers to park, with some saying all drivers should be treated equally.
But disability rights lawyer Chris Fry told BBC 5 live this was a misreading of UK equality law.
The Department of Health said patients who went to hospital often or for long periods had a right to fair and appropriate car-parking concessions.
Of the 116 hospital trusts in England that responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the BBC's 5 live Investigates programme, 37 said they currently charged disabled drivers to park.
For a two-hour appointment, the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro was the most expensive, charging ?4.80 for two to four hours parking.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20628873
