NHS staff forking out £2,600 a year just so they can park at work
Charges double at one of UK’s dearest hospitals
ONE of the country’s most expensive hospital car parks has doubled its prices, hitting staff for up to £2,632 a year just to park at work.
St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex hiked charges from £6 a day to £11.20.
With only one staff parking bay for every three full-time staffers, hundreds are forced to pay the steep fee in the visitor car park.
St Richard’s charges more for eight hours’ parking than for the equivalent charged by the hourly rate of £1.30 – which would add up to £10.40 for eight hours.
It means staff are among those hardest hit by the rise.
Health support worker Kelly Borland, 31, said: “How can they justify charging that amount?”
Patient Maureen BrookesWhite, 74, said: “It’s terrible. Staff should definitely park for free.”
Visitor Heidi Hunt, 44, said: “No one comes to hospital out of choice, and at an emotional time other things should be a priority.”
More than 55,000 people have signed the Mirror’s petition for an end to the fees in England, bringing it in line with Scotland and Wales. Shadow Health Minister Julie Cooper said: “The charges need to be binned.”
Tory MP Robert Halfon said: “Patients and staff are being crucified by this stealth tax.”
St Richard’s Hospital has 930 staff car bays and 2,700 full-time staff. Of these, 2,020 have parking permits for which an average £13.09 a month is deducted from their pay.
After increases last week it is now £4.30 for up to three hours and £8 for five hours. One hour’s parking was cut by 30p.
Western Sussex Hospitals Trust raised £2million from car parks at St Richard’s, Worthing and Southlands hospitals last year. Freedom of Information data shows this had risen 25% in three years before the latest rise.
The car park is managed by UK Parking Control, which told the Mirror it has “no responsibility for the increase of charges”.
The hospital said the higher fees would stop people using the spaces if not visiting hospital.
The Trust said staff could park at the city’s council car park at £50 a month. It added: “Income raised from our car parks is used to support patient care.”
Sign petition at mirror.co.uk