Author Topic: ‘Financially challenged’ Royal Cornwall Hospital hikes up staff parking charges  (Read 3466 times)

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Offline The Bald Eagle

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And they wonder why so many doctors and nurses are quitting the profession.

Not only that but the Trust (a misnomer if ever there was one) plan to sell off the family silver (a big chunk of land) in order to pay for their own inadequacies.

Still never mind. The Trustees will no doubt continue to receive their nice, fat, index linked salaries, so that's alright.   <Swearyangry> <Swearyrant> <Swearyangry> <Swearyrant> <Swearyangry> <Swearyrant> <Swearyangry> <Swearyrant> <Swearyangry> <Swearyrant>

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http://www.westbriton.co.uk/8203-8216-Financially-challenged-8217-Royal/story-22732987-detail/story.html

‘Financially challenged’ Royal Cornwall Hospital hikes up staff parking charges

Furious hospital workers have hit out at Royal Cornwall Hospital’s decision to hike up staff car parking charges.

The decision is set to cost workers hundreds of pounds just to do their jobs.

In a letter leaked to the West Briton, the hospital’s chief executive Lezli Boswell tells staff that parking charges at Treliske will increase in October.

Under the new parking permit charges staff working over 22.5 hours will have to fork out £330 a year to park – up to a fivefold increase for some staff on the previous charge.

Consultants and Trust Board members working similar hours will pay £500 a year for a permit.

Those working 22.5 hours of less will need to pay £260 to park at the hospital car park, run by Q Park, while consultants working similar hours will be charged £390.

The letter urges staff to use the Park and Ride service – the staff concession for which has been scrapped by Cornwall Council.

In the letter Mrs Boswell’s defends the decision by saying the Trust is facing “financial challenges” and that it “can no longer justify spending £40,000 per year (rising to £70,000) to support staff car parking when we need to prioritise clinical services.”

She goes on: “It was not a decision that we took lightly and we recognise that the impact of the increases will be difficult. To that end, we have made sure that our staff car parking charges remain below those of other NHS Trusts in the region, including Plymouth, Exeter and Taunton.

But one RCHT employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said they are disappointed at the news.

Previously they had paid around £60 a year to park in the staff car park.

They said: “Staff are saying that with a pay freeze, our pay is worth 10 per cent less than in 2009.

“That coupled with ever shrinking staffing levels is making healthcare professionals feel devalued and many are looking for alternative employment.

"That means it's going to cost me £446 just to do my job.

"That has resulted in staff morale being at an all-time low and it will ultimately reflect in the standard of care to patients. The Royal Cornwall Hospital's NHS Trust is developing a reputation as an organisation that does not look after or indeed care about its staff."

Another member of staff, who did not wished to be named, said they were previously paying £96 a year - with the increase they will be paying three times as much.

The loss of the subsidy to the Park and Ride Service will mean using public transport to get to work will cost workers £240 a year.

“All they seemed to be interested in doing is getting out of debt and the only people they can punish, sadly, is the staff.

“We are frontline emergency staff providing high care, it’s not nice.

The hospital is considering selling part of its staff car park –called the gravel pit -, which only has planning permission until 2016 to raise £2 million to help the Trust to pay for facilities, equipment and services.


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Offline DastardlyDick

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I see that - as usual - it's the people who earn the least that are paying the most (as a percentage of their Salary). I wonder if the Board of Trustee's has voted itself an Exemption?

Offline The Bald Eagle

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In the letter Mrs Boswell’s defends the decision by saying the Trust is facing “financial challenges” and that it “can no longer justify spending £40,000 per year (rising to £70,000) to support staff car parking when we need to prioritise clinical services.”

How is that a cost? There may be some upkeep costs associated with the car park, but that can't be as much as £70k a year.

It's far more likely that they are referring to the loss of revenue they might have achieved if they sold the spaces to patients, in which case they won't be "spending £40,000 per year (rising to £70,000) to support staff car parking". Therefore it is not a cost.

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Offline BGB

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And what is the cost of employing more temp doctors and nurses at double the cost of directly employed staff members who leave because they feel exploited?

Presumably it is easier to justify expenditure on "staff" even though a sizeable portion of that expenditure goes to the recruitment agency.


Offline Kill Switch

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It's far more likely that they are referring to the loss of revenue they might have achieved if they sold the spaces to patients, in which case they won't be "spending £40,000 per year (rising to £70,000) to support staff car parking". Therefore it is not a cost.

Coudn't agree more. I wonder how long it will be before this hospital trust becomes a BPA member, with the bollocks they're spouting, I'm sure they'd be a perfect fit.
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice


 


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