PArking eArns hospitAl £1.8m

Patients pay in Peterborough but not Stamford

The trust which runs Peterborough City Hospital made £1.8 million from car parking charges in 2015/16. Patients and visitors paid £1.3 million and staff £509,000 during the year.

Theoverallfigure, revealed by the Press Association, is £8,000 more than in 2014/15.

In contrast, Stamford Hospital does not charge for parking.

Ian Crich, trust director of workforce and organisational development, said: “We review our car parking charges annually and benchmark our charges against those at other hospitals in the region.

“We have to ensure the charge covers the cost of providing thefacility for 2,006car parking spaces on the PeterboroughCityHospitalsiteand doesnotcomeoutofmoneyallocated for healthcare.

“This includes 96 disabled spaces which are free to use for blue badge holders.

“The trust also provides free car parking for visitors to the Bereavement Centre and patients with a long-term illness or a serious condition that needs regular treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and haemodialysis.

“Concessionary parking (reducedrate) is also offered to patients whoseappointmenttime exceeds two-and-a-half hours due to a long wait in clinic, a parent of a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Children’s AmazonWardorabirth- ingpartner, themainvisitortoa critically ill or terminally ill patient on a daily basis and relatives visiting apatient onadaily basis for a prolonged period of time (exceeding seven days).”

The Press Association’s investigation found that more than half of hospital trusts which responded to its Freedom of Information request are making more than £1 million in car park fees every year, with some also handing money to private firms.

The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust made the most from car parking at £4.8 million.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “The shocking reality about car parking charges is thattheyaretakingmoneyfrom the sick and vulnerable to top up NHS coffers.”