Car park charges at hospital under fire

The new charges introduced this month see visitors paying £1.70 for the first two hours (up 20p) and £2.70 (up 30p) for between two and four hours.

The charges for two hours will go up again next September by another 20p, and then again the following year.

At the same time the trust has reduced the period for free parking from 40 minutes to 20 minutes – which Coun Brent Huntington, who is chair of planning at Goole Town Council, says won’t be of much use of people trying to get to a ward and back.

The rises are well above the consumer price index, which is used to measure inflation and stood at 5.2 per cent last month.

Coun Huntington contrasts it to the situation in Wales and Scotland. In Wales hospital car parking is free and in Scotland only three hospitals charge.

He said the new charge of £1.70 equated to a 13.33 per cent increase, while the rise in September will be 26.66 per cent measured against the pre-September charge.

He said: “I fail to see how the trust can say these prices increases to car parking at Goole Hospital are fair. I find it totally preposterous that car parking charges as high as this can be introduced and the board of governors should be questioned as to how this was allowed to happen. Since when has car parking been a business – unless you call yourselves the NCP of course.”

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the price increase was the first at Goole since charging was introduced.

Benefits included increased security at Goole Hospital and free car parking for patients needing regular treatment. A spokesman added: “We’ve tried to make the charges as fair as possible in line with best practice national guidelines.