Southport Hospital makes millions of pounds from car parking charges last year.
According to NHS Digital, which is the national provider of information, data and IT systems for commissioners, analysts and clinicians in health and social care in Eng- land, NHS trusts made more than £226m from parking fees for staff, patients and visitors in the last financial year, which is an increase on the year before when the amount collected was £175m.
Almost half of NHS hospitals have put up parking fees despite ministers vowing to end rip-off charges. Prices have even doubled at some sites – with staff, patients and their families forced to pay as much as £4 an hour.
The crackdown promised by the former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has not materialised with 43 per cent of NHS trusts in England raising their parking fees in 2017/18.
At the same time the charges have been scrapped in Wales and most of Scotland. Mr Hunt ordered hospitals four years ago to set ‘reasonable’ fees, to limit fines and to offer discounts to relatives of the gravely ill.