16012/1A BREAST cancer sufferer from Trowbridge has spoken of her anger after shelling-out £52 in parking fees for just 10 minutes of treatment a day.

Val Collins-Thomas, 47, of Wingfield, has had to attend the Royal United Hospital in Bath every day for the past five weeks for radiotherapy treatment, costing £2 a day the minimum charge to park at the hospital.

"I am really, really angry at having to pay to go in for necessary treatment every day," she said. "I know everybody has to pay but why don't they do a reduced rate for people who go each day?"

The £2 charge allows drivers to park for up to two hours but drivers are unable to pay less for a shorter time.

Mrs Collins-Thomas inquired at the hospital whether patients could buy a month's permit at a reduced rate and was told a week's permit would cost her £10, the same as it would cost to buy a ticket every day.

"A lot of people live hand to mouth and just cannot afford to pay that," she said.

A spokesman for the hospital said reduced rates could be offered to patients in some circumstances.

Director of facilities Stephen Holts said: "We are sorry Mrs Collins-Thomas has not yet been offered reduced parking costs during her lengthy and difficult treatment at the RUH and I would encourage her to contact the trust so this can be arranged.

"In June, we appointed a new head of security and parking who is reviewing a wide range of issues relating to parking on this site.

"Part of this review will consider how the trust can help patients whose treatment requires frequent visits to the trust over a long period of time."

Mrs Collins-Thomas, who was diagnosed with breast cancer three months ago and underwent surgery on July 8, said sometimes parking spaces were impossible to find.

The hospital operates a park-and-ride scheme but Mrs Collins-Thomas said this option is not possible as she and her husband Mark try to keep life as normal as possible for their children.

The couple have four children Samantha, 20, Arron, 18, Ryan, 15 and 13-year-old Blair and Mrs Collins-Thomas drops the younger ones at school before going to her hospital appointments.

"When you are trying to maintain as normal a life as possible, getting children to school and working full-time, park-and-ride is not an option.

"There is often nowhere to park and when you get there you have to queue."

mblake@newswilts.co.uk