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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/27/hospitals-making-hundreds-of-millions-from-parking-charges
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| Hospitals making hundreds of millions from parking charges | Hospitals making hundreds of millions from parking charges |
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| Hospitals in England are making hundreds of millions of pounds from car parking charges, with more than 40% of NHS trusts increasing the cost of a stay in the past year. | Hospitals in England are making hundreds of millions of pounds from car parking charges, with more than 40% of NHS trusts increasing the cost of a stay in the past year. |
| An investigation using freedom of information requests found some trusts have doubled the price of car parking for patients and visitors. | An investigation using freedom of information requests found some trusts have doubled the price of car parking for patients and visitors. |
| Analysis of data published by NHS Digital in October shows trusts made more than £226m in 2017-18 from parking, including penalty fines. | Analysis of data published by NHS Digital in October shows trusts made more than £226m in 2017-18 from parking, including penalty fines. |
| A total of 124 NHS trusts in England responded to the Press Association requests on parking charges, with 53 (43%) reporting an increase in prices in the past year for visitors or staff, or both. The remaining 71 (57%) said they had not put up their prices. | A total of 124 NHS trusts in England responded to the Press Association requests on parking charges, with 53 (43%) reporting an increase in prices in the past year for visitors or staff, or both. The remaining 71 (57%) said they had not put up their prices. |
| The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, confirmed his party planned to scrap hospital car parking charges. “It’s wrong to charge people to visit loved ones in hospital and the staff who care for them,” he said. | The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, confirmed his party planned to scrap hospital car parking charges. “It’s wrong to charge people to visit loved ones in hospital and the staff who care for them,” he said. |
| The Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman, Judith Jolly, said the charges amounted to “taxing the sick”, and although hospitals were struggling with financial pressure, this was not a “green light to charge patients”. | The Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman, Judith Jolly, said the charges amounted to “taxing the sick”, and although hospitals were struggling with financial pressure, this was not a “green light to charge patients”. |
| Rachel Power, the chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “Charges for car parking at hospitals are a charge on people who are unwell, levied on them because they are unwell.” | Rachel Power, the chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “Charges for car parking at hospitals are a charge on people who are unwell, levied on them because they are unwell.” |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals doubled the price of parking for four to six hours from £3 to £6. A stay of two to four hours jumped from £3 to £5.50, but the trust reduced its one-hour stay from £3 to £2.50. | Lancashire Teaching Hospitals doubled the price of parking for four to six hours from £3 to £6. A stay of two to four hours jumped from £3 to £5.50, but the trust reduced its one-hour stay from £3 to £2.50. |
| Some of the trusts that have put up prices are making millions every year from parking. Frimley Health in Surrey, one of the highest-earning trusts in England, made £4,452,481 from charging staff, patients and visitors in 2017-18. This was up on the £4,126,587 it made the year before. | Some of the trusts that have put up prices are making millions every year from parking. Frimley Health in Surrey, one of the highest-earning trusts in England, made £4,452,481 from charging staff, patients and visitors in 2017-18. This was up on the £4,126,587 it made the year before. |
| University Hospitals of Leicester made £4,421,862 from parking in 2017-18, a 13% rise on £3,880,587 the previous year. In the past year, it has also increased prices across the board. A two-hour stay for patients and visitors went up from £2.50 to £2.80, while a four-hour stay increased from £4 to £4.40. | University Hospitals of Leicester made £4,421,862 from parking in 2017-18, a 13% rise on £3,880,587 the previous year. In the past year, it has also increased prices across the board. A two-hour stay for patients and visitors went up from £2.50 to £2.80, while a four-hour stay increased from £4 to £4.40. |
| Such parking charges have been abolished in Wales and most of Scotland. Some hospitals in England have defended the revenues, saying some or all of the money is put back into patient care or spent on maintaining car parks. | Such parking charges have been abolished in Wales and most of Scotland. Some hospitals in England have defended the revenues, saying some or all of the money is put back into patient care or spent on maintaining car parks. |
| Moira Fraser-Pearce, the director of policy and campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, urged people to check what discounts were available for cancer patients. | Moira Fraser-Pearce, the director of policy and campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support, urged people to check what discounts were available for cancer patients. |
| “Cancer can have a significant impact on people’s finances and if they have to pay to park at hospital in England, these charges can add considerably to this – especially for those undergoing treatment on a daily basis,” she said. | “Cancer can have a significant impact on people’s finances and if they have to pay to park at hospital in England, these charges can add considerably to this – especially for those undergoing treatment on a daily basis,” she said. |
| The Unison union’s head of health, Sara Gorton, said: “If the government put more money into the health service, charges could be scrapped, and nurses, porters and their NHS colleagues would no longer have to pay through the nose simply to park at work.” | The Unison union’s head of health, Sara Gorton, said: “If the government put more money into the health service, charges could be scrapped, and nurses, porters and their NHS colleagues would no longer have to pay through the nose simply to park at work.” |
| A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We have made it very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges. | A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We have made it very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges. |
| “NHS trusts are responsible for these charges and ensuring revenue goes back into frontline services, and we want to see trusts coming up with options that put staff, patients and their families first.” | “NHS trusts are responsible for these charges and ensuring revenue goes back into frontline services, and we want to see trusts coming up with options that put staff, patients and their families first.” |
| NHS trusts that have increased the cost of parking in the previous financial year (for visitors or staff, or both) | NHS trusts that have increased the cost of parking in the previous financial year (for visitors or staff, or both) |
| East Cheshire | East Cheshire |
| Shrewsbury and Telford | Shrewsbury and Telford |
| St Helen’s and Knowsley | St Helen’s and Knowsley |
| Royal Wolverhampton | Royal Wolverhampton |
| Colchester Hospital | Colchester Hospital |
| Leicester Hospitals | Leicester Hospitals |
| Buckinghamshire Healthcare | Buckinghamshire Healthcare |
| County Durham and Darlington | County Durham and Darlington |
| Kingston | Kingston |
| Northern Lincs and Goole | Northern Lincs and Goole |
| Surrey and Sussex Healthcare | Surrey and Sussex Healthcare |
| University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire | University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire |
| Guy’s and St Thomas’ | Guy’s and St Thomas’ |
| University Hospitals of Derby and Burton | University Hospitals of Derby and Burton |
| Royal Brompton and Harefield | Royal Brompton and Harefield |
| West Suffolk NHS | West Suffolk NHS |
| Wrightington, Wigan and Lee | Wrightington, Wigan and Lee |
| Hampshire Hospitals | Hampshire Hospitals |
| Harrogate and District | Harrogate and District |
| Epsom and St Helier | Epsom and St Helier |
| Northampton General | Northampton General |
| Kettering General | Kettering General |
| Mid Cheshire | Mid Cheshire |
| George Eliot | George Eliot |
| Birmingham Women’s | Birmingham Women’s |
| East Sussex Healthcare | East Sussex Healthcare |
| Salisbury | Salisbury |
| University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay | University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay |
| Dorset County Hospital | Dorset County Hospital |
| London North West University Healthcare NHS trust | London North West University Healthcare NHS trust |
| Frimley Health | Frimley Health |
| Alder Hey | Alder Hey |
| University Hospitals of North Midlands | University Hospitals of North Midlands |
| Walsall Healthcare | Walsall Healthcare |
| Rotherham General | Rotherham General |
| Royal Surrey (A £4 daily parking charge was introduced for blue badge holders who could previously park free, although general parking charges did not rise.) | Royal Surrey (A £4 daily parking charge was introduced for blue badge holders who could previously park free, although general parking charges did not rise.) |
| Airedale | Airedale |
| Basildon and Thurrock | Basildon and Thurrock |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth |
| Ashford and St Peter’s | Ashford and St Peter’s |
| Royal Cornwall | Royal Cornwall |
| Southport and Ormskirk | Southport and Ormskirk |
| Taunton and Somerset | Taunton and Somerset |
| Lewisham and Greenwich | Lewisham and Greenwich |
| East and North Herts | East and North Herts |
| Manchester University | Manchester University |
| Cambridge University Hospitals | Cambridge University Hospitals |
| North Bristol NHS trust | North Bristol NHS trust |
| Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells |
| South Tees Hospital | South Tees Hospital |
| United Lincolnshire | United Lincolnshire |
| University Hospitals Birmingham | University Hospitals Birmingham |
| Lancashire Teaching Hospitals | Lancashire Teaching Hospitals |
| Hospitals | Hospitals |
| NHS | NHS |
| Health | Health |
| Family finances | Family finances |
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