Kirklees MP Paula Sherriff has vowed to continue her fight over parking charges for disabled people at a hospital.
The Labour MP for Dewsbury has met with board members from the Mid Yorkshire Hospital Trust to discuss the implementation of fees for disabled blue badge holders in hospital car parks.
Ms Sherriff, who sits on the Health Select Committee, launched a campaign against proposed charges in July, suggesting an impact of the fees was that patients were missing appointments.
She vowed to work alongside them and appreciated tough decisions had to be made, but added she was immovable on her opinion on disabled parking.
Ms Sherriff said: “Whilst there are many users of the hospital that have been hit hard by the recent rise in parking charges, I feel it is the blue badge holders who will suffer the most.
“Able-bodied patients have the option of walking or using public transport, many disabled patients do not have this choice and can only access their appointments by car.
“There is also an increased likelihood they are going to need to access the hospital services more frequently.
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“These charges have a huge impact on the lives of people who are already suffering at the hands of their disabilities.
“One of my constituents contacted me distraught.
“She and her husband are both pensioners and her husband is on many medications and has to attend Dewsbury Hospital weekly for blood tests.
“He has said he will not go to the hospital any more due to the charges being unaffordable.”
Ms Sherriff added: “Obviously this is extremely worrying and she simply doesn’t know where to turn with this issue.
“How many patients are missing appointments following the implementation of the new charges? Have DNA’s increased in the recent weeks?”
Trust chairman Jules Preston admitted they had not considered missed appointments as a result and would look into monitoring the impact.
Ms Sherriff added: “I have many constituents that this is causing great distress to and my priorities lie with them.”
