After the union UNISON wrote to four of the region's NHS trusts telling them that reintroducing staff parking charges "could mean them quitting" amid the cost of living crisis, some - but not all - have told ChronicleLive they are still offering free parking despite the end of a Government subsidy.
The union wrote to bosses at hospital trusts which had not yet ruled out reintroducing car parking fees for staff - in our area these were Northumbria Healthcare, Gateshead Health, County Durham and Darlington and South Tyneside and Sunderland trusts. The letter said hospitals must "defy" the Government's end to free parking for NHS staff.
In response Northumbria Healthcare said it had not reintroduced parking charges, while the County Durham and Darlington trust said it was "reviewing its position". The Gateshead trust which runs the QE pointed to a range of measures including an official partnership with Citizens' Advice as ways it is supporting its staff through the cost of living crisis.
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Bosses at South Tyneside and Sunderland also said they were continuing to offer free staff parking. In Newcastle, the trust's management has previously reiterated that staff who have a permit allowing on-site parking are not being charged to park despite the end of the Government subsidy.
The union also called on NHS bosses to address the rising cost of fuel by upping mileage rates for staff who use their car for work - and has again demanded the Government provide an adequate pay rise for NHS staff.
In the letter, UNISON's northern regional secretary Clare Williams said: "Staff on the brink of leaving the NHS may well see the reintroduction of parking charges as the final straw. This could mean them quitting when the NHS needs experienced staff more than ever."
She added the move would "add hundreds of pounds to the cost pressures" facing NHS staff and reduce morale. She said: "The continuation of free parking and an inflation-busting pay rise is vital to stop more staff leaving NHS jobs this year."
This comes after a survey conducted by the union found that, nationwide, 39% of NHS staff had had to ask family or friends for financial support in the last year. The union also said that, in the face of rising fuel prices, 74% of staff felt their current mileage allowance wasn't enough.
At the moment, the Government says that mileage rates are tax free up to 45p a mile - but the union say this should be upped and that NHS trusts should increase what they pay staff. Most of the trusts in our region said they followed the national NHS guidance on this - but at Northumbria Healthcare, a spokesperson said a "supplementary increase" had been introduced while South Tyneside and Sunderland said that it had increased the mileage rate "for staff who hit the mileage cap".
The Northumbria Healthcare spokesperson added that Jacqueline Bilcliff, deputy chief exec at Gateshead Health added that bosses appreciated how the rise in the cost of living was impacting staff and were "working to provide support and guidance around finance wellbeing for any staff who may need it". The trust has an official partnership with Citizens Advice Gateshead and said staff had priority access to that service - and Ms Bilcliff added that mileage for staff was "paid in line or above the national agenda for change rates".
At Northumbria Healthcare, the spokesperson added that in addition to reviewing its mileage rates on a quarterly basis, “staff also have access to our public-sector lease car scheme". They added: "We appreciate that the rising cost of living is impacting on everyone, including NHS staff, and we are currently looking at a range of measures that we hope will help with some of these challenges for those in most need."
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Kath Griffin, HR director at South Tyneside and Sunderland said she hoped the increase in mileage rates for some staff would "go some way to easing any additional financial burden" on staff who were driving lots. She added: "“We are very aware the rising cost of living is having an impact on our staff and are looking at a number of ways to further support them, alongside some of the current measures we have in place such as subsidised food in our restaurants."
A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, said: "We are following national guidance and are currently reviewing our position." A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the Government was "grateful for the incredible contribution of NHS staff". They said the free parking funding was only intended to be temporary.
The spokesperson added that NHS staff could claim 56p per mile for work-related travel and that this was reviewed ever six months. They also said the Government had taken action to reduce the pressure on the cost of living by cutting fuel duty, raising the National Insurance threshold and cutting taxes for those on Universal Credit.
