BORIS Johnson today dismissed calls for free parking for NHS staff.
He told Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to “take his latest bandwagon and park it free somewhere else”, when asked to extend the policy.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, NHS workers have been granted free hospital parking, but this will start to wind up soon.
Only in a few cases will the free pass to park on hospital grounds be granted, with Sir Keir warning it will add “further insult to injury” for NHS workers.
The Department of Health has said free parking will continue only for “key patient groups and NHS staff in certain circumstances” as the pandemic eases, although no further timeline has been given.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “The Prime Minister will know this could cost hundreds of pounds a month for our nurses, our doctors and our support staff.
“We owe our NHS workers so much. We all clap for them, we should be rewarding them, not making it more expensive to go to work.
“The Prime Minister must know this is wrong, will he reconsider and rule it out?”
Mr Johnson replied: “The hospital car parks are free for NHS staff for this pandemic, they’re free now, and we’re going to get on with our manifesto commitment to make them free for patients who need them as well.
“The House will know that was never the case under Labour – neither for staff nor patients.
“May I suggest he takes his latest bandwagon and parks it free somewhere else.”