‘I had a brain tumour then a stroke - I needed a blue badge but was refused’

More people have come forward to support KentOnline’s campaign for a fairer Blue Badge system. Adrian Pitts, 66, of Allington Road in Paddock Wood, was on dialysis for 18 months while waiting for a kidney transplant when his application for a blue badge was refused. Despite receiving this treatment for kidney failure, like many of the other seriously ill patients who have shared their story , his badge was denied because the council said it was unable to determine that his condition would impact him for three years – a requirement for being accepted.

Adrian had to visit Guy’s hospital in London for dialysis three times a week for four hours at a time and met many other patients who had similar problems. Their condition was seen as a “temporary thing” that would be resolved with a transplant. The-dad-of-two, who is also a Lib Dem councillor for Paddock Wood, said: “As a kidney patient, you don’t know when your transplant is coming, you don’t know how much worse you are going to be.



“Some people are on the transplant list for a year, some people are on the transplant list for nine years.” Dialysis removes waste products and excess fluids from the blood. Adrian says it can help you feel better and means patients will have good days and bad days, which means applying for the blue badge is not “clear cut” as your mobility can fluctuate.

On May 28 Adrian had a successful kidney transplant and no longer requires a blue badge, but his story will be similar to hundreds of others. He added: “Dialysis is one of those temporary, serious medical conditions that seems to be invisible which is why I want to highlight it in this campaign.” Meanwhile, Barbara Bradford from Cheriton in Folkestone, had a 6cm brain tumour removed in June 2022, and subsequently had a stroke overnight which affected her right side.

Through ground-breaking treatment at King’s College Hospital, she was able to get back the use of her right hand but she came home on a pair of crutches and “a leg that had a mind of its own”. The 78-year-old said: “I applied for a blue badge and was refused on the grounds that I would be better in three years. I could have appealed but at that time I was too unwell to fight the decision.

“You have terrible fatigue, you have the mental trauma of someone that’s had things fished from your brain - that is when you need your blue badge. “I just feel that the time you need it is when they refuse you.” Because her application was denied, Barbara bought herself a mobility scooter so she could visit the Folkestone Sports Centre, when it was open, as a recovery option while she was waiting for physiotherapy.

But she says if she had a blue badge someone could have taken her there as well as the supermarket to get her shopping as she couldn’t walk round the shops, which would have made her life “easier”. She now feels strongly that patients who are released from hospital after a serious illness or operation should be able to obtain a one-year blue badge to assist their recovery. Last week, KentOnline launched Blue Badge Battle: campaign for a fairer system, which was backed by three MPs.

Since the launch, dozens of people have got in touch to pledge their support including two more Kent MPs. Gravesham MP Lauren Sullivan said: “It is important that those facing treatments that can lead to them being very unwell, such as in cancer treatments, should be able to park close by. “I will be lobbying ministers to see what can be done to help people.

" Also joining the campaign is Ashford MP Sojan Joseph, who not only supports the introduction of short-term blue badges for those with shorter-term mobility issues caused by serious illnesses, but also urges the council to make their assessment process faster. He said: “I often hear incredibly difficult stories at surgeries and constituency meetings of the council missing deadlines for blue badge applications; making people wait up to five months – when the target is around 12 weeks. This is completely unacceptable.

” Since the campaign launched, Maidstone and Malling MP Helen Grant has heard from the shadow secretary of state for transport, Gareth Bacon, who will be meeting with KentOnline. Mrs Grant is now in the process of setting up a meeting with ministers at the House of Commons. Meanwhile, Chatham and Aylesford MP Tristan Osborne asked the secretary of state for transport, MP Heidi Alexander, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the blue badge scheme to include a statutory requirement to expand the offer, on a shorter fixed-term basis to people with temporary mobility problems or conditions.

In response, Mrs Alexander reiterated that the blue badge scheme is about helping those with a “long-term disability” and explained the department has “no plans” to amend the current eligibility criteria. Despite this, she explained how the department has previously issued local authorities with advice on how it can use existing powers to provide “locally determined parking concessions” to assist their elderly residents. Mrs Alexander said: “The same powers could be used to help those with temporary mobility problems or conditions.

” Off the back of this response, Mr Osborne shared plans to write to Medway Council and Kent County Council (KCC) to ask if they can introduce a concession for those with temporary disabilities. He said: “It would go through the same application process as a blue badge but it would be a time limited, probably a month or three month basis. “The worry from the government’s perspective is that people are going to be applying for a blue badge who don’t have a legitimate reason.

“So there has to be some form of check and balance. The problem is if you do too many checks it puts people off from doing it in the first place, but if you don’t have any checks you end up with people, sadly, seeking to abuse the system to try and get free parking.” The campaign continues.

A Kent County Council spokesperson said applications for blue badges continue to rise with 44,000 applications received last year. It said: “We have to be equitable in approving applications and must assess everyone against the strict mobility focused criteria provided by the Department for Transport (DfT). “Some residents, in receipt of certain benefits automatically qualify.

The remainder are individually assessed for a discretionary blue badge against the DfT criteria, one of which states that a disability or condition affecting mobility must be ongoing for three years to qualify. “Concessionary local parking schemes are the responsibility of the appropriate district, city or borough councils and so KCC is unable introduce these. “If DfT produce further guidance and legislation relating to the introduction of a supplementary process for temporary blue badges, we would of course endeavour to implement any changes required.

“However, the current infrastructure i.e. number of disabled parking spaces available across the district and the on street enforcement of these, is already under considerable and increasing pressure.

” If you have been affected by this issue and want to support our Blue Badge Battle - please email [email protected].