Full list of 37 NHS trusts that have upped parking charges – is yours included?
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At least a quarter of NHS trusts in England have increased the cost of parking in the two years to March 2024. The hikes were criticised by a patients’ charity who accused bosses of unfairly penalised people who are sick. But health experts said hospitals are ‘under huge financial pressure’ and simply cannot afford to maintain car parks free of charge.
![[MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: People pay for parking at Wythenshawe Hospita on April 14, 2022 in Manchester, England. Free parking in hospital car parks for NHS staff was introduced by the government in July 2020 during the pandemic but ended on March 31, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_233906712-b44b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Some 37 trusts – 25% of the 147 in England – said they had raised the price of parking at some point between April 2022 and March 2024. While 122 of the 147 trusts responded to the FoI request, 25 did not, meaning the actual number who upped their charges may be higher.
There were 65 trusts – 44% of the 147 in England – who said there had been no increases during the two-year period. Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: ‘NHS trusts – most of whom are under huge financial pressure – just couldn’t afford to maintain car parks without charging people to use them.
‘The last thing trusts want to do is have to divert money away from patient services. ‘City centre and urban hospital car parks where spaces are in great demand are a particular challenge.’. However, Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, a charity supporting the interests of all patients and their families, claims charges ‘unfairly penalise’ unwell people.
