Doctors and nurses will be able to park at hospitals without charges “during this unprecedented time.”
NHS staff, including volunteers and social care workers, will also benefit from free street parking and use of car parks thanks to a deal with the Local Government Association (LGA).
The move comes after 400,000 people signed a petition calling for the measure.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our NHS is facing an unprecedented challenge, and I will do everything I can to ensure our dedicated staff have whatever they need during this unprecedented time.
“So we will provide free car parking for our NHS staff who are going above and beyond every day in hospitals across England.”
The government has invited hospital trusts to take up their offer of covering costs as a thank you to key workers.
Mr Hancock said: “My enormous gratitude goes out to the many NHS Trusts and other organisations already providing free car parking and I urge other Trusts to do the same with our backing.”
The LGA is asking councils to waive fines received by health and social care workers while carrying out their duties.
Chairman Cllr James Jamieson, said: “Already, many councils have suspended parking charges in council-run car parks and for on-street parking and have waived all fines on appeal for critical workers.
“'These critical workers are all doing vital and highly valued work to support the most vulnerable in our society and councils want to do all they can to support them.”
I think it's absolutely disgusting that the staff should have to pay parking in the first place
So happy the public and government have supported to have free parking during these tricky times, they should have free parking all the time really!
About time too. No NHS staff should have to pay parking. Because they all do a vital job, all year round.
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