NHS staff throughout England have been dealt another drastic set back as the government have announced the end of free parking in hospitals.
In an announcement made this week, the health secretary has said that he will be cutting the funds that were being provided to the NHS during Covid-19.
Since March 2020, the parking fees have been waived for all NHS staff in a gesture for the long hours conducted by healthcare workers during the pandemic.
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Within Frimley Health Trust, a total of 7,972 healthcare workers use parking facilities within their hospitals. 3777 in Frimley and 3795 in Heatherwood and Wexham, with shifts ranging from 7.5 to 12 hours long.
With the increasing cost of fuel and now the withdrawal of free parking this is likely to have a dramatic impact on the increasing cost of living for NHS workers.
A spokesperson from Frimley Health Trust said: "As the announcement to cease funding to NHS trusts to cover the cost of free parking for staff from 1 April 2022 was only made late yesterday, we will be reviewing how to implement this change over the coming weeks."
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