Scandal over hospital parking charges continues as analysis shows one location charges £76 per day

Hospitals are putting pressure on ambulance services by allowing patients to park up to £76.80 a day, activists warned yesterday.

They said skyrocketing parking fees mean many sick Brits can no longer afford to drive to the emergency room and must instead rely on 999 vehicles.

Researchers analyzed parking rates at 120 of England’s top hospitals.

They found that St Thomas’ Hospital in central London – opposite the Palace of Westminster – was the most expensive at £3.20 an hour or £76.80 a day.

Seven of the ten most expensive car parks for a 24-hour stay were in the capital.

The most expensive outside London was Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, which charges £22, according to research by car sales company Motorfinity.

Under Ministry of Health guidelines, NHS hospitals can charge for parking, but the prices must be ‘reasonable for the area’.

Trusts must offer free parking to some groups, including disabled patients and parents of sick children staying overnight.

Tory MP Sir Mike Penning, who has campaigned against hospital parking charges, said: ‘The NHS is built on the principle that it should be free at the point of delivery and that should apply to motorists, be it patients or their loved ones are those who visit in times of need.

“Drivers are being cheated by trusts that charge extortionate prices and use parking garages like cash cows, which is morally wrong.

“If patients can’t afford to park, they pass that pressure on to others, be it a friend, relative or the ambulance service.

“I understand that hospitals in city centers cannot leave parking garages wide open for inappropriate use, but they should use vouchers or something similar to monitor their use.”

Ambulance services in England received 1,071,621 calls in August, up 46 percent from 733,347 in the same month in 2014.

Crews took an average of 42 minutes and 44 seconds in August to respond to heart attacks and strokes – more than double the target of 18 minutes, the latest figures from NHS England reveal.

Thousands of ambulances have to queue up outside the emergency room for up to 24 hours, unable to unload patients and respond to another 999 calls due to a shortage of beds.

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives estimates that 3,800 patients suffered serious injuries such as a lost limb, permanent disability or death as a result of long transfer delays in August.

Dean Skiba, chief operating officer at Motorfinity, said: “Some of the allegations found in this investigation are quite eye-watering.

“For most, the emergency room is a last resort when seriously injured or ill, coupled with a hefty parking charge and it can be an extremely unpleasant and disturbing experience.

‘Just like the emergency rooms, the ambulance services are also full and the above rates will certainly not encourage those who can travel by car.

‘Some UK hospitals offer concessions and discounts where necessary, but for the vast majority of people these costs are a harsh reality.

“Households are at a breaking point with the cost of living and many will be concerned about these burdens.”

The Patient Association has previously lashed out at parking charges, accusing hospitals of ‘taking money from the sick and vulnerable to replenish the NHS coffers’.

Saffron Cordery, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said: ‘We would urge people to call 999 only and request an ambulance in a real emergency.

Trust leaders understand that many NHS staff and patients who were able to park on site for free during the pandemic wish it could continue, especially amid the rising cost of living.

But many trusts cannot afford to maintain parking garages without charging people to use them.

“Free parking for all patients and visitors will be difficult without more national funding or taking money away from frontline patient services.”

A spokesperson for Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which runs St Thomas’ Hospital, said: “To ensure our parking spaces remain available to our patients and are not abused by members of the public visiting central London , the £3.20 per hour parking charge at St Thomas’ Hospital is in line with local parking facilities.

‘The site is also very well served by local public transport.

‘Disabled badge holders who come to an appointment with their appointment letter and their valid disabled badge can park for free.

‘In certain cases we offer subsidized parking, even when someone visits a patient in intensive care.’

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘We are delivering on the manifesto’s commitment to provide thousands of additional NHS patients and visitors with free hospital parking – with 99 percent of NHS trusts implementing free parking for those who need it the most, and the last 1 percent are working towards that.

“This is the first time that NHS hospital car parks across England will be free for those who need it most.”