Road pricing ‘would take toll on health’

Proposed new road tolls in Edinburgh could lead to more hospital
admissions, the chief executive of primary care services for NHS
Lothian has warned a public inquiry.

Murray Duncanson said demand for beds could be increased if health
and local authority staff were unable to make home visits because
of road tolls and congestion charges. He said people could become
ill as a result and have to be admitted to hospital.

In addition to the increase in demand for beds, he also claimed
that introducing road tolls would cost the health service an extra
£1m a year in reimbursements to doctors, health visitors and
other staff who have to make essential home visits in the city.

Edinburgh is undertaking a 10-week-long public inquiry into the
proposed road toll scheme.