Hinchingbrooke parking 'unaffordable' on benefits

WITH respect to your article re parking charges at Hinchingbrooke Hospital (February 25) I have had to visit the hospital for various reasons over the five years that I have lived in Wistow. I have never paid to park but prefer to walk quite a distance ra

WITH respect to your article re parking charges at Hinchingbrooke Hospital (February 25) I have had to visit the hospital for various reasons over the five years that I have lived in Wistow. I have never paid to park but prefer to walk quite a distance rather than pay the exorbitant charge.

During the bad weather my neighbour, aged 74, had been to Huntingdon by bus but was not returned to the village where she was collected but dropped on the Bury road a half-mile walk to her house. She slipped on black ice and broke her wrist. I took her to Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Neither of us had any money with us, having left in a rush and I had to park near the country park. This was a blessing in disguise as it was 3pm when we arrived and 8.30pm when she was finally released.

I receive �60.50 jobseeker's allowance and she is a pensioner, neither of us able to afford to use the car park. It is impossible for people on limited income to pay �2.60 (why not �2.50?) let alone whatever the charge would have been for the five-and-a-half we were obliged to remain at the hospital.

Incidentally, the hospital staff were wonderful: there were many causalities to treat but we were told that my neighbour's fracture was the worst that day, and we are very grateful for their care and attention.

SUE HERBERT

Wistow