Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will include in the new NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles reduced fees for families of long-term hospital patients.

The Department published new National Health Service patient, visitor and staff car parking principles on 23 August 2014. These principles, widely welcomed by a range of charities and organisations representing patients’ interests, made it clear that NHS trusts should provide concessions, including free or reduced charges or caps, to the following groups:

- people with disabilities;

- frequent outpatient attenders;

- visitors with relatives who are gravely ill;

- visitors to relatives who have an extended stay in hospital; and

- staff working shifts that mean public transport cannot be used.

Therefore, families of long-term hospital patients should be able to take advantage of the concessions for visitors to relatives who have an extended stay in hospital.