Christmas will be here soon, and it seems like this one will bring a grand celebration for the employees of Worcestershire's hospitals who have served patients from all over the region with extreme dedication since a real long time. On the other hand, it has been reported that the health chiefs have really been related to Ebenezer Scrooge from the time they initiated car parking fees for visitors as well as for disabled patients.

With just next to no promotion, the NHS has executed its crucial and critically contentious plan at the three main hospitals of the country, namely the hospital in Kidderminster, Worcester and Redditch.

Signs claiming blue badge holders can avail free parking facilities in the hospital parking lots have been whitewashed while a few smaller signs meant for notifying people regarding the applicable charges for everyone willing to park their vehicle in the hospital premises have been glued on the posts halfway up the pole.

That clearly implies it will now be mandatory for people, regardless of age, with disabilities to pay the parking fees as applicable, depending on their duration of stay in the hospital. For parking vehicles for a maximum of two hours, £3 will have to be paid, while a parking fee of £7.50 will be applicable for vehicles parked for duration of six to 24 hours.

The scheme, which was instigated on November 28, has led to extensive disparagement against the hospital authorities, though a Spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has claimed that people can call for abridged parking charges by making use of the concessionary scheme of the hospital.

While expressing his opinion in this regard, Mark Lawley, from the Disability Action Wyre Forest, claimed: "I think it's really Scrooge-like to introduce this just before Christmas".