Fury over ‘tax on the sick’ as shock figures reveal hospitals have raked in additional than £1BILLION in automotive park charges from sufferers, guests and employees, over six years

Hospitals have raked in £1.15billion in car park fees from patients, visitors and staff in the past six years, shocking figures reveal today.

In what has been branded a ‘tax on the sick’, NHS trusts have made an average of £665,000 in parking charges every day of the past year, with dozens hiking charges recently.

The vast majority of the cash has been paid out by unwell patients attending appointments and loved ones visiting them on wards, with the rest spent by doctors and nurses simply turning up to work, research shows.

It comes despite the previous Conservative government attempting to limit the amount made by hospitals by introducing free parking for disabled drivers with Blue Badges, parents of sick children staying overnight and staff doing night shifts.

Last night the Liberal Democrats, who obtained the statistics, called on Labour to go further and introduce a ‘visiting and caring fund’ so no one has to shell out to see loved ones while they are undergoing treatment.

The party’s care spokesman Alison Bennett said: ‘This is an unfair tax on the sick and on hard-working NHS staff and it has to stop. It cannot be right that nurses have to pay through the nose to get to work or that patients are subjected to sky-high fees to get treatment they desperately need.

‘The Conservatives promised to crack down on unfair hospital car parking charges but failed miserably. The new government must now work urgently to stamp out these unfair fees and back our calls for a new ‘visiting and caring fund’.’

Helen Gravestock, of Young Lives vs Cancer, said: ‘Children and young people with cancer often have to travel miles from home to get the treatment and age-appropriate care they need. This leaves families having to find an extra £250 a month on average to travel to and from hospital.

Hospitals have raked in £1.15billion in car park fees from patients, visitors and staff in the past six years. File image.

‘For many, these costs add up even more when they arrive at hospital as they have to pay out for parking too.

‘We have been campaigning for change to ensure all children and young people with cancer and their families get better financial support to help face these costs.’

The analysis of annual NHS estates returns from hundreds of hospital and community trusts shows that income from parking charges is now at a five-year high. 

In 2023-24 they made a total of £242.8million, up from £192.5million the year before and far less during the pandemic years when charges were waived for staff.

Last year’s figure is the highest since the £289million recorded in 2019-20, before lockdown restrictions and the introduction of free parking for some patients.

In total NHS trusts have made more than £1.1billion since 2018-19, of which £847.5million came from patients and visitors with the remaining £304.3million from staff.

The trust with the highest income was University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, which made £37.3million over the six years, followed by University Hospitals Birmingham with £25.2million.

It emerged last week that 37 hospital trusts – one in four of the 147 across England – have increased parking charges in the past two years.

NHS trusts have made an average of £665,000 in parking charges every day of the past year

The Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust now charges visitors £3.90 for their first hour’s parking. Rachel Power, of the Patients Association said: ‘These charges unfairly penalise people simply for being unwell.

‘The considerable profits generated by parking schemes raise serious questions about whether hospitals are receiving a fair share of this income, particularly when financial pressures are affecting the quality of care patients receive.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘Hospital car park charges are the responsibility of individual NHS trusts, however any charges must be reasonable and in line with the local area.

‘Free parking is available for all NHS staff who work overnight, as well as Blue Badge holders, frequent outpatient attenders, and parents of sick children staying overnight in hospital.’