Labour: "Sick" hospital car parking charges must be scrapped

Labour says the NHS should be "properly funded" to pay for the charges, which they say are unfair to staff and visitors.

According to recent figures nationally hospitals charge £175m per year - some £500,000 per day. However the figure represents a tiny fraction of the NHS budget - just 0.001 per cent.

Hull West and Hessle MP Emma Hardy, the co sponsor of today's bill, which is due to be debated this afternoon, said: "Hospital car parking charges raise such a miserly amount of money when looked at in the grand scheme of the NHS budget but have a massive effect on the lives of people who have to pay them, especially when they have to pay them on a regular basis.

"It’s bad enough being sick without having to pay to visit the hospital."

Last month Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was highlighted as one of the country’s top earners from parking charges after taking more than £3m in 2016/17.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust received £1.57m.

However Daniel Reynolds from NHS Providers, which represents trusts across the country, said if charges were scrapped, the money would still have to be found from elsewhere.

He said: "We understand why this can be so frustrating for patients and NHS trusts do their best to minimise these charges. For example, concessions are often offered to people with disabilities and other conditions. Many NHS trusts will also ensure patients who are in hospital for a day or more pay a set amount and not by the hour which is more expensive.

“Despite this, NHS trusts have to pass on some of these costs as car parks are expensive to run and maintain. The revenue generated is mainly used to maintain facilities, with any surpluses reinvested in care for patients.

"If car parking charges were to be abolished it would mean around £200 million of funding would need to be found from elsewhere – either from within already scarce NHS sources or through an increase in the NHS budget."