by Jenni Horn

Disabled drivers will no longer be able to park for free at Medway Maritime Hospital, sparking anger among blue badge holders.

Bosses announced they will charge the disabled normal parking fees from this Monday.

Amid an outcry over the change, Conservative councillors have written to chief executive Mark Devlin.

They have asked for the charges to be suspended until they can be discussed at Medway Council’s health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee in August.

Blue badge holders have previously been exempt from parking fees at the hospital, which cost £1.50 for one hour, £2 for two hours, £2.50 for three hours, £3 for four hours, £4 for up to six hours and £5 for 24 hours.

From Monday, free parking will only be offered to volunteers, cancer patients and terminally-ill patients on the Liverpool Care Pathway.

A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust said it was to create fairness around concessions and to generate income as pressure on budgets continues.

She said: "Surplus income, after running costs of the car park have been met, is put directly back into patient care to improve services for local people."

Ruth Dalton, from Rochester, has a disabled son and is disgusted by the changes.

She said: "We are always backwards and forwards to the hospital. I can be there three or four times a week and a lot of other parents with disabled children have to do the same. It will cost a fortune in parking which I can ill afford as I cannot work due to being my son’s sole carer."

Christina Dance, from Halling, is disabled and has to visit the hospital up to three times a week. She said she will face costs of up to £7.50 a week.

She added: "Is this fair on those like myself that have no other option of transport but to use a car? It makes a mockery of the blue badge scheme."

Conservative councillors David Brake and Mike O’Brien met the hospital’s operations director Patrick Johnson to discuss the changes after being contacted by ward members.

Cllr Brake, in charge of adult services at Medway Council, said: "The lack of consultation with hospital users, Medway Council and various partners demonstrates to us that hospital chiefs have tried to sneak this decision in through the back door."

The Conservatives claim the charges will create £180,000 extra funding a year, representing less than 0.1% of the hospital’s annual budget.

Cllr Mike O’Brien, who has responsibility for blue badges as cabinet member for community safety and customer first, said: "To target disabled hospital users in this manner for a comparatively small financial gain is not something that Medway Conservatives can support."

Cllr John Avey, who chairs the health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee, was due to write to the hospital’s chief executive inviting a hospital representative to present the parking policy change to the committee for their consideration. He has asked for a suspension of the implementation of the parking charge.

Chatham MP Tracey Crouch said: "I am incredibly uncomfortable at the introduction of full charges for disabled people at the Maritime.

"Many disabled people visit the hospital on a more regular basis than others, but not often enough to be applicable for concessions.

"Understanding the hospital’s financial constraints, if they feel they have no choice but to charge blue badge holders I would have much preferred it if they had bought in a lower rate for disabled parking rather than just immediately whacking on a full charge".

Other hospitals around Kent still offer disabled badge holders free parking.

Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford and Maidstone Hospital offer blue badge holders unlimited free parking.

The Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and Canterbury Hospital all offer disabled badge holders free parking for three hours.