New research by the Press Association suggests car parking prices have risen at more than four in 10 NHS hospitals in England in a year – with some trusts doubling the cost of certain stays for visitors in 2017-18.
A total of 124 of the 152 trusts running hospitals responded to Freedom of Information requests by the Press Association, with 53 saying prices were up for visitors or staff, or both.
Data published by NHS Digital in October shows NHS trusts made more than £226 million from parking fees, including penalty fines, in the last financial year.
Several hospitals defended the charges, saying some or all of it goes back into patient care.
However, research by Nockolds Solicitors suggests this is not always the case, with more than a quarter (28%) of the NHS Trusts missing out on some or all of the income generated because they outsource their car parking facilities to private companies such as NCP, the largest parking provider in the UK.
Earlier this year, Nockolds obtained full data from 81 NHS Trusts they approached about their car parking arrangements.
The findings reveal that:
- 81% of NHS Trusts charge for parking;
- Just 19% follow government guidelines and provide free parking;
- More than a quarter (28%) of the NHS Trusts that charge for parking are missing out on some or all of the income generated because they outsource their car parking facilities to private companies;
- Over £60 million generated from hospital car parking is going to private companies rather the being reinvested back into the NHS and patient care.
Commenting on the findings, Yasmin Ameer, serious injury specialist at Nockolds Solicitors said:
‘Vulnerable patients and visitors should not be charged for hospital car parking at all but if the money is reinvested directly back into patient care, at least some good is coming of it.
‘The NHS is in desperate need of further investment. It should not be a cash cow for the private sector.’
Continued Yasmin: ‘We act for seriously injured people who, because of their injuries, are often hospitalised for long periods of time. They regularly rely on the support of their family and friends to get them through the darkest times.
‘We commissioned this research because we wanted to find out how much of the money generated by car parking fees is at least being reinvested back into patient care. It cannot be right for private companies to be generating profits on the back of seriously injured people fighting for their lives in hospital beds.’
Headway spokesman Luke Griggs said: ‘Every day, we receive requests to support families who simply cannot afford these grossly unfair and punitive parking charges.
‘These are families who understandably don’t want to leave their loved one’s side when they are seriously ill or in a coma.
‘Charging people to use hospital car parks at a time when they are shocked, bewildered and vulnerable is simply wrong.’