THERESA May refused to be drawn into the row over the high cost of parking at Hereford County Hospital.

The Prime Minister visited the region this week to raise awareness on mental health issues affecting the young.

Discussion and debate mainly focussed on health issues but when the subject turned to costs incurred by patients and visitors who need to park at the County Hospital, the Tory leader failed to offer much hope that fees would come down.

During a visit to Woodlands Outdoor Education Centre in Glasbury on Thursday, the Hereford Times asked Mrs May why visitors to Hereford County Hospital pay £5 for a stay of up to two hours while Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny parking is free for guests for the same period of time.

“Individual hospital trusts are independent bodies and look into their own policies in relation to parking and that issue,” she said.

“This is an issue that has been raised before and they must make their own decisions about what they feel is the right thing to do.

“What I know overall is that as a government we are putting record levels of funding into the health service and it’s important that we do that as we see demand for NHS services increasing.”

Mrs May also expressed her belief that many patients in Wales are choosing to travel across borders – to places such as Hereford County Hospital – as they perceive that there is a better service in England.

“If you are comparing the health service in Wales and health service in England we see a number of ways in which people coming from Wales into England for their health services because they feel there is a better service that they are able to get here in England given some of the decisions given by Labour administration in Wales,” she added.

Mrs May visited the village near Hay-on-Wye to unveil a new course which is to be developed by the National Citizen Service (NCS) to raise awareness of mental health among young people.

Mrs May said: “What I have seen today is the NCS and the advantages it gives to young people, of course that isn’t available to people in Wales because the Welsh Assembly have chosen not to do it but it’s up to them to make that decision.

“The Welsh Assembly should come and talk to people who have been involved with the NCS and you will hear the great benefits they feel from it. One of the things that is particularly important is that it helps to build self-esteem, confidence and resilience and that’s important in dealing with mental health issues.

“In England we are putting more money into mental health services and, as we increase funding for our services, the Barnett formula does mean that there is money available to the Welsh Assembly and it’s up to them how they decide to spend it.”