Hospital car parking fees were increased for a quarter of NHS trusts in England amid the cost of living crisis, new data has revealed.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show parking charges rose for at least 37 trusts – 25% of England’s total – between April 2022 and March 2024. Requests were filed to the 147 NHS trusts in England by PA Media, but 25 did not reply, meaning the number that raised parking fees could be higher.
The mark-ups were criticised by the Patients Association charity for punishing people coping with ill health. “The ongoing cost-of-living crisis is already pushing many households to the brink, and these charges unfairly penalise people simply for being unwell and needing access to essential healthcare,” said Rachel Power, the charity’s chief executive.
“While parking fees continue to provide important revenue for hospitals during a period of significant financial strain, it is vital that any additional NHS funding is focused on improving patient care,” she said.
Power questioned whether “hospitals are receiving a fair share” of the “considerable profits generated by parking schemes”.
The NHS defended charges amid financial stress. Saffron Cordery, the 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 to have to divert money away from patient services.”
During the pandemic, from July 2020 until March 2022, hospital staff had their parking fees waived, which cost the Department of Health and Social Care about £130m.
Most of that trusts that increased fees did so for patients and visitors. Some of the trusts that reintroduced fees for staff based the amounts on salary, with higher earners paying more for permits.
The move to charge staff for parking was criticised by GMB’s national secretary, Rachel Harrison, who said: “Health workers are on their knees – they need help and support. Charging them to park is kicking them while they are down.”
A separate analysis of NHS figures from GMB found England’s healthcare workers paid about £70.5m for parking in 2023-24. The union called on the government and the NHS to scrap staff parking charges.
Harrison said: “They’ve suffered rocketing workloads, chronic understaffing and the fallout from a global pandemic.”
A health department spokesperson said parking fees were the responsibility of NHS trusts, but urged charges to be “reasonable and in line with the local area”.
