A petition asking the government to waive parking charges for NHS workers at hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic has already gained thousands of signatures.

The petition on change.org was set up on Saturday by Anthony Gallagher.

Mr Gallagher says he works for the NHS but doesn’t disclose where.

According to NHS data, NHS staff in England paid almost £70m to park at their place of work in 2017-18.

Charges were abolished in Wales in 2018 and parking fees in Scotland were abolished in 2009.

In his letter to Matt Hancock, Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, Mr Gallagher says:

I am very proud to be a part of our NHS.

Now, as with generations before ours, a small minority of our population finds itself with both the skill and the bravery to step up in our nation's hour of need.

This is not the first time that so much is owed by so many to so few, nor will it be the last, but this is our time. It is the NHS and its workforce that now stands between us and the greatest mass tragedy we have faced in generations.

My request is simple. Please stop charging this workforce to use their staff car parks.

That's all I'm asking.

I understand that Hospital Trusts need more money than they are given, but as we have seen this week, there are other sources of that money. Find another way.

There have been some truly astonishing fines levied at NHS staff for parking at work in the lead up to the current staffing crisis.

[A report about NHS car park charging states] that this government introduced in 2014 states that "car park charges must be reasonable".

I petition that it is not reasonable to charge the NHS workforce to park at work at this time, nor is it reasonable to distract that workforce with worries about being fined for parking at work.

Mr. Hancock, Mr. Sunak, Mr. Johnson, if you really are as grateful as you say you are to the staff of our NHS, then please abolish staff parking fees and fines throughout the NHS immediately and forever.

If you think my petition is not reasonable, then at least abolish parking fees and fines for our NHS workforce during this National Emergency. You can always reintroduce them when you are no longer grateful for their service.