Julian Knight MP has met with the management of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) to raise his concerns about health services in Solihull.
Top of his agenda were renewed calls for reform of excessive parking fees at local NHS facilities. Many residents have complained to Julian about how these high charges make it harder to support family and friends in hospital.
Julian also pressed NHS managers on the need for an expanded urgent care facility in the town, to ensure that emergency treatment was available to residents 24 hours a day.
Commenting on the report, Julian Knight said:
“Excessive parking fees at hospitals and care facilities are nothing less than a tax on compassion. NHS managers should not be trying to squeeze money out of the family and friends of their patients.
“I want our local health service to be as accessible as possible – and that means scrapping unfair charges which price visitors out of our hospitals.
“It also means that University Hospitals Birmingham Trust must deliver the expanded urgent care facilities Solihull needs. Emergencies don’t wait for office hours, and a long drive to late-night care costs lives.”