Staff at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent, say they are taking shifts in pubs to cope with rising costs linked to higher parking charges and reduced bank shift wages. The hospital has a £47m deficit, according to the council, and workers say the changes are adding to financial pressure already felt by staff.
At the start of August, the cost of parking for one day at the hospital rose from £9.20 to £15. In May, bank shift wages were reduced by 20%, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. One midwife, who wished to remain anonymous, said the extra costs had led many staff to consider their positions.
Why are staff saying they are under pressure?
Staff say the combined impact of parking charges and lower bank shift pay is leaving them worse off each month. The midwife said she had to budget £250 a month to travel into work, while also describing staff morale as being affected by the changes.
“They're kicking us whilst we're down, and I could get more as a cleaner. Some of us are doing cash-in-hand work in pubs,” she said.
“It sounds ridiculous. How can you be such a qualified professional, but you're getting more money pulling pints behind a bar?”
The midwife also said the reductions were not only a financial issue, but were worsening staffing problems on the wards.
“We're short-staffed, we're asking people to work outside of their specialties,” she said.
What has the trust said about parking charges?
Medway NHS Foundation Trust said income from the car parks goes first towards maintenance and then directly into patient care and services. Siobhan Callanan, interim chief executive of the trust, said free parking could not be provided for all colleagues, but eligible staff can apply for an on-site parking permit to use designated staff parking areas.
“While we are unable to provide free parking for all colleagues, eligible staff can apply for an on-site parking permit to use designated staff parking areas.”
How has the council responded?
Medway Council deputy leader Teresa Murray said she wanted to meet with hospital leadership about the issue. She said the hospital’s financial position meant the decisions were for the trust to make, but argued the changes were not helping matters overall.
“The hospital has a £47m deficit and this is their decision to make, but overall, this is not making anything any better,” she said.
Medway Maritime Hospital is the main hospital serving the Gillingham area, and the parking and pay changes have become a source of concern among staff as they try to balance work costs with day-to-day expenses.
The hospital’s deficit, the increase in parking charges and the cut to bank shift wages have all fed into wider questions about staffing, affordability and working conditions at the trust.
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