A young woman is leading a campaign for reduced parking fees at Stoke-on-Trent's primary hospital after spending £16.80 on visits to her father, who suffered a stroke. Courtney Chell visited her father Edward four times during his four-day stay at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, each time paying £4.
20 for parking for two to three hours. Courtney's online petition demanding lower parking charges has now garnered hundreds of signatures. Courtney, from Norton, expressed her frustration, saying: "£4.
20 for up to three hours is way overpriced. I was annoyed by how much it is. If people are in a bad financial situation, it deters them from visiting family.
READ MORE: The 'expensive-looking' £28 Roman skirt that's 'great with heels or boots' She added: "You get to the car park, you're already worried, and then you're worried about how much you've got in your bank just to go and see your loved-one in hospital. You can go up Hanley for cheaper. Paying to park at a hospital shouldn't be like going shopping for the day.
It's not a luxury thing - it's an essential. Edward, 74, has since been discharged from the hospital and is recuperating at home. His wife Tracy had been visiting him twice daily.
Courtney voiced their dissatisfaction, saying: "It gives the impression that only people who are well off can actually have the freedom to visit loved-ones with no financial stress. The people struggling have additional stress at an already stressful time. "There will be people who can.