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Disabled man in hospital parking protest
A severely disabled Wigan man is staging a one-man protest against hospital parking charges.
Amputee Arthur Fairhurst is outraged about Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust's controversial decision to drop the Blue Badge concession at the Infirmary.
Former fork lift driver Arthur, 60, of Hardybutts, needs to make regular visit for physiotherapy to counter the effects of his loss of mobility.
And he believes that the decision to apply charges – Health Secretary Andy Burnham is considering legislation to ban them if the Government win another term – is "absolutely outrageous."
Mr Fairhurst lost a leg because of acute diabetes, and is now confined to an electric wheelchair. But he says that, "as a man of principle," he ended up parking hundreds of yards away from the hospital to keep his appointments during the heavy snow, rather than pay the charge.
He said that the strain and potential danger of maneouvering his wheelchair along footpaths into the infirmary was worth it to avoid buying a parking ticket.
Mr Fairhurst said: "As far as I can see this is effectively a charge on my life-saving treatment. I don't think that it is acceptable that disabled people have to pay to park at the hospital."
A spokesman for the Trust said: "Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust has altered its approach to car parking charges and has introduced a time-based scheme. The revised pricing has been aimed to be as fair and equitable as possible for all car park users, including disabled parking."
Full story in this week's Wigan Observer ...
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Weather for Wigan
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
