POLL OF THE DAY: Should NHS trusts be banned from hiking up parking charges at hospitals? – VOTE NOW

At least one in four NHS trusts in England raised the cost of parking for either patients, staff or both in the two years to March 2024, according to new research.

Some 37 trusts – 25 per cent of the 147 in England – said they had raised the price of parking at some point between April 2022 and March 2024.

The increases were attacked by a patients’ charity as unfairly penalising people who are unwell.

Health experts said hospitals trusts are “under huge financial pressure” and cannot afford to maintain car parks free of charge.

Parking fees for hospital staff in England were waived in July 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this temporary measure ended on March 31, 2022.

At the time, the Department of Health and Social Care said the change had cost around £130million over two years.

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.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson 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.”

With that in mind, do you think NHS trusts should be banned from hiking up parking charges at hospitals? Have your say by voting in the poll above.