> I apologise to international members of the ACB list, for raising a purely
> UK issue.
> Our hospital is based in Livingston, Scotland. It was a "New town" until
> its recent 25 th Birthday. It is customary for employers in this area to
> provide free car parking for their employees. The hospital has done this
> for the past 10 years, but has decided to go aginst staff and public
> opinion by making charges. The "intoductory rates" are set out as
> follows:
> "Charges
> Visitors will be asked to pay £1 per visit
> Staff payment will be by deduction from salary/wages as per the permit
> application/mandate on the following basis:
> £ NIL - staff earning up to £10,000
> £52 per annum - staff earning between £10,000 - £20,000
> £120 per annum - staff earning between £20,000 and above."
> I am sure that big-city colleagues would gladly seek a permit, at these
> prices.
> But my questions are: 1) Does a hospital have the authority to charge car
> parking charges that discriminate on the basis of salary? 2) Are there
> precedents for this "second income tax", or for other salary-related
> charges in the NHS. (I recognise that ACB and the Royal Colleges charge
> differential Annual Membership Fees, agreed by members at an AGM). 3) Do
> Whitley Council Regulations permit such charges? Are Whitley Council
> Conditions relevant to this issue?
> Thanks for any comments to me directly or to the group.
> Graham Ellis
> St. John's Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian.
>
>
>
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