New parking system goes live at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital
Parking charges at Shropshire's two main hospitals are here to stay.
That's the view of Simon Wright, the chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, who said the funds raised from parking meters helped to pay for vital hospital equipment.
Number plate recognition technology, became operational at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford yesterday. It is already in use at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
Mr Wright said all the money that comes into the hospital through parking charges goes towards providing services and equipment for patients.
He said: "Every hospital I have worked in has had car parking problems.
"Every penny raised comes back into the hospitals, some is used for lighting and maintaining the car park but the majority pays for equipment like new theatre lights, which is something we purchased recently.
"Unless that money is substituted from elsewhere the parking charges are here to stay."
The automatic number plate recognition system was launched at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in 2013. Health bosses said there would be no change in parking prices now the new system has been introduced.
The equipment for the new system has been in place at PRH for some time but became operational yesterday.
Mr Wright said he hoped the new car parking system would make things easier for patients having previously met with some visitors who had been left confused by which machines should be used.
He said: "Now, you can park, get into the hospital site and pay for parking when you leave."
Mr Wright also said that exemptions would remain for certain groups.
