“IMMORAL” car parking charges at Hereford County Hospital will be frozen for the next three years – at least.

Wye Valley NHS Trust confirmed the freeze this week after talks with its PFI contract partner Mercia Healthcare, which manages and runs the car parks on the Trusts behalf.

A decision on the freeze lay with Mercia which was contractually entitled to increase its charges within the next three years.

Amanda Attfield, leading the campaign against the charges, says the freeze should be the start of further concessions on charges she has previously branded immoral.

“While a freeze is welcome, it’s no reason for our campaign to ease up - if anything it’s the basis for going further.

“In a zero inflation economy, a large private sector company has made a zero inflation concession.

 “Effectively they’ve given nothing for nothing,” she said.

 In November last year, the trust board was presented with a petition of over 2,000 names against the parking charges.

Then, the board heard of:

- An elderly woman hit with an “extortionate” bill having kept up a 24/7 vigil at the bedside of her dying husband.

- A woman with a husband in isolation for eight weeks charged for the up eight hours a day she wanted to spend with him  and having to reduce visits as a result.

- Patients deliberately missing vital appointments because they couldn’t afford the parking charge.

- Families fearing visits because of the charge or even going to A&E.

The trust has been in talks with its  PFI partners over the future for parking charges.

Prices were due to increase last year but did not as the PFI company prepared to review its sub-contract options.

Though the trust has no contractual right over this process, it has been invited to work with the PFI company on which option might best meet the needs of users.

The trust has to consider national guidance issued by the Department of Health over hospital parking.

Late last year, Herefordshire Council passed a motion backing the principles published in August setting out expectations that:

• Charges should be reasonable for the area

• Concession arrangements should be available for people with disabilities, frequent attenders and staff working shifts

• Clear display of charges, concessions and penalties should be made to the public and visitors at car park entrances

• Trusts should publish their car parking policies

The trust board has ruled out any return to subsidising car-parking.

When the charges went up in 2012, the Hereford Times revealed that the cash strapped trust spent more than £300,000 on parking subsidies between 2008-2011 before ending the practice for cost reasons.

Under the 30-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal that got the hospital built, management of the car park is sub-contracted out over a 10-year term to Car Parking Plus on behalf of Mercia Healthcare.

The contract with Car Parking Plus is due for re-tendering in 2016.

Critics have long slammed the charges as a “sick tax”.

Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford & South Herefordshire, has previously warned the PFI partners of “political implications" if they don't reduce the fees.

Healthwatch Herefordshire also wants debate over the cost of parking and how it could be made more affordable.

The parking fees are managed by the PFI partners and offer little financial benefit to the hospital itself.

Using the hospital car park currently costs £3.50 for the first hour, rising to £5 for two hours, £6 for three hours, £7 for up to four hours, £12 for nine hours and £15 for 24 hours.

These figures were due to rise again before 2016 under the current contract.

Under the 30-year PFI deal that enabled the hospital to be built in 2002, management of the car park is sub-contracted over a 10-year term – signed off in 2006 – to Car Parking Plus on behalf of Mercia Healthcare, WVT’s contract partner.

The hospital is owned and managed through Mercia, which is a company 75% owned by Semperian, a London-based PFI firm, and 25% owned by French industrial giant Sodexo.