Changes to parking fees at a hospital have been branded “completely unacceptable”.

And an MP has criticised the chief executive of the trust which runs Dewsbury and District Hospital for delaying informing patients about the move.

Patients with blue badges will now have to pay to park and fees will increase more than 50% for people using the car park for less than an hour. Other tariffs have also changed.

Paula Sherriff, Dewsbury Labour MP, said she was told on June 12 that parking charges were being explored but no timelines or decisions had been made.

She claims the trust decided on changes on July 4 but waited until July 30 to notify patients – giving just two days notice before the changes were introduced.

Dewsbury District Hospital
Dewsbury District Hospital

Ms Sherriff has now written to Stephen Eames, chief of the Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust, demanding answers, saying: “To receive information such as this, which will have a huge impact on many of my constituents, with less than 48 hours’ notice is completely unacceptable.

“I understand there is financial deficit within the trust of £14.8 million. However, I am appalled by the introduction of parking charges to blue badge holders.”

She has asked for clarity on income generation and for a meeting to discuss the way the trust notified patients and local MPs.

Fellow Labour MP, Batley and Spen’s Jo Cox, has also hit out at the changes but the hospital trust said: “...we need to ensure that we are operating facilities that are affordable in the long term and that front line services are protected in challenging economic times.”