NHS parking charges

That this House notes with concern that hospital patients, staff and visitors have been charged over £1 billion in car parking fees over the past eight years; recognises the significant financial burden this places on National Health Service staff, who work tirelessly to provide care, and on patients and their families, who should not face exorbitant costs while accessing essential healthcare services; further notes that hospital parking charges amount to an unfair tax on the sick and those who care for them; calls on the Government to cut hospital parking fees for National Health Service staff, patients and visitors; and urges the Government to establish a visitors and caring fund to ensure that National Health Service trusts can offset the revenue lost from parking fees without compromising investment in frontline services.