Important Notice for patients & visitors

Introduction of Car Parking charges

WMP wishes to inform all our patients and visitors of the very difficult decision to introduce a small charge for parking at our sites across Whitstable.  We appreciate that this subject is likely to be an emotive one. We are doing everything we can to reduce the impact for patients and will be limiting charges to £1 per visit (not per hour!).

We would strongly encourage you to read this letter in full in order that you have a complete understanding of why we have had no choice but to take this difficult and regrettable decision. 

Since its construction in 2009, we have been lucky enough to enjoy free use of approximately 90 car parking spaces at Estuary View Medical Centre. This has been on land owned by Graham Land & Developments. This arrangement will cease this year as building work, for which planning permission has been granted, is due to commence around summer time. 

We know that 96% of our patients travel to this site by car. This is to be expected given the out of town location and limited public transport options. It is no exaggeration to say that without replacement of this lost parking, Estuary View would become unviable as a medical facility. In order to ensure the survival of Estuary View and the continued provision of services for patients, we have had to make plans to purchase an additional plot of grassland to the outskirts of the business park. This will be turned into a staff and patient overflow car park at the cost of £1,250,000, money we simply do not have. 

We have explored every possible avenue for funding support, including with the NHS, local authority and local charities, but no help is available to us.  To our shock and dismay, only one of the many housing developments currently under construction in Whitstable have had to provide any funding support for healthcare.  Added to this, NHS rules state that the small contribution we are due to receive from one developer cannot be spent to assist with our parking problems and must be used for infrastructure at Chestfield Medical Centre.  The entire cost of parking therefore, and on-going maintenance, falls on the shoulders of the practice.  

Added to the above, we have become increasingly aware of members of the public misusing our car parks across all sites. This is increasing pressures on parking and taking space away from vulnerable patients who need access to medical care. 

Therefore, in order to protect parking for patient use and in order to fund the vital new parking spaces needed, we will be introducing a small charge of £1 which will cover patients for up to 4 hours of parking. There will be a 10 minute grace period to ensure those being dropped off are free from charges. There will be certain exemptions, for example blue badge holders, who will be able to scan badges at the machines to obtain free parking. 

We have selected a third party management company to assist with future car park management. UKCPM, part of the Agena Group, are contractually obliged to work with us and we wish to provide every reassurance that the system will be operated honestly and fairly at all times. Should this prove not to be the case we will take steps to cease our relationship with UKCPM. 

Payment for parking will be able to be made on entry or exit. Ticket machines will be installed and will accept coin or contactless payment. There is NO NEED to return the ticket to your car, this is just a receipt to be kept for you records. You may also instead pay via a dedicated app, SIPPI, which can be downloaded from your app store. Changes will firstly be implemented at Chestfield Medical Centre from April time. Subject to successful implementation, it is our plan for other sites to follow a number of months after. Signage will be clearly displayed alerting all patients when changes come into force.  Members of our PPG (Patient Participation Group) will very kindly be on hand to assist patients when this is first introduced.

This decision has not been taken lightly and we would have preferred to be in a position to continue to offer everyone free parking. We hope you will understand the reasons outlined for the introduction of these charges which are the minimum viable. 

The Management Team and Partners of Whitstable Medical Practice would like to thank all patients for their understanding and forbearance.