Director for Scotland Elspeth Atkinson welcomed the axing of charges.

“Macmillan has been campaigning for some time for these unfair charges to be scrapped, and today’s announcement will go some way towards reducing the financial burden that can come with a cancer diagnosis,” she said.

“We are pleased to see the Health Secretary has instructed those boards that have external contracts in place, including NHS Tayside for Ninewells Hospital, to limit or reduce the cost of parking.

“People travel from all over Tayside for cancer treatment at Ninewells, and we will be keeping a close eye on these arrangements to make sure cancer patients in Tayside are not financially penalised.”

She added, “It is absolutely wrong that any cancer patient — regardless of income — who is undergoing regular treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease should be forced to pay for unavoidable transport costs.”

Nurses are to also continue the fight for free parking at Ninewells. The Royal College of Nursing has been at the forefront of the campaign to abolish hospital charges and welcomed today’s announcement.

A poll carried out by the nursing union in Scotland last year found 87% of people were in favour of scrapping charges for patients, visitors and staff.

“Both the public and nurses have long believed that car parking charges represent an additional tax and go against the principle of care being free at the point of delivery,” said Norman Provan, Associate Director of RCN Scotland.

“Now we call on the Government to work with health boards to find a similar solution for the three PFI hospitals which are not included.”

Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick added his voice to the Health Secretary’s call for health boards operating deals with private companies to work towards reducing charges.

“This is a welcome announcement for the rest of Scotland but serves to highlight the problems faced at Ninewells in Dundee, where as a result of the use of a private finance deal for car-parking the charges will remain,” he said.

“It serves to highlight the problems of the PFI deals pushed forward by previous Labour administrations and Health Ministers.

“Along with those who use and work at Edinburgh and Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary, people in Dundee will continue to pay these charges and I welcome the Health Secretary’s efforts to urge these hospitals to take action to reduce their charges.

“The abolition of car-parking charges in Scotland’s other hospital car parks is excellent news and shows the SNP’s commitment to an NHS that is free, he added.”