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London hospitals earn £13million from parking charges in one year
Sophie Goodchild06.03.09
London hospitals and health trusts collected more than £13million from parking charges in one year.
Experts warn the "exorbitant" fees of up to £3 an hour are deterring sick patients from attending hospital appointments.
Epsom and St Helier trust charges up to £12 a day for parking and earned £1.2million from it over 2007 to 2008. This compares with £885,000 the previous year - or an increase of more than £100,000 in just 12 months. The Royal Free charges £3 an hour for patients and their relatives to park.
The parking figures obtained by the Conservatives are based on data provided by hospitals and primary care trusts to the NHS. They include fees for attending A and E, walk-in clinics and community centres.
Trust bosses argue the charges are necessary to prevent shoppers and office workers exploiting free parking.
But critics blame the NHS for using this as an excuse for "bad management" and a means of generating extra revenue. Shadow health spokesman Mike Penning said the charges were "morally wrong" and would deter patients.
He told the Standard: "Access is the most important thing for patients. It must not be a deterrent for people getting the treatment they need."
The Patients Association said patients and relatives should be issued with tokens by hospitals instead of having to pay for parking.
Spokeswoman Vanessa Bourne said: "This smacks of bad management. Parking charges were introduced to stop people using hospital car parks while shopping. But there's no reason why trusts can't give something which enables people getting treatment to park for free. It's not rocket science and these charges are exorbitant."
In one case, a mother from Sutton ended up paying more than £100 over the course of her pregnancy.
The woman in her thirties, who gave birth at St Helier Hospital, even paid £17 when her husband had to drive her to A and E because she started bleeding.
Actress Lysette Anthony has also spoken out about being penalised for using a car to take her sick son to hospital. She was fined £60 by Camden council while doctors were operating on her son Jimi, who has juvenile arthritis, at Great Ormond Street.
Ms Anthony said: "We were given a £60 ticket because we couldn't leave our son on the operating table to go and satisfy Camden council. Quite apart from the expense, anyone who says 'get a cab' clearly doesn't have a child because cabs don't have car seats."
A spokesman for The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation trust said they only had parking spaces at their site in Sutton and these charges had not increased for five years. Epsom and St Helier NHS trust said they were not the highest earners from parking charges in London.
They said the £1.2million figure covered hospital sites in Surrey as well as in London, so the actual revenue for just London last year was £700,000.
Hospitals say they "ring fence" any profit made from parking charges.
This includes reinvesting the money back into patient services and into improving car parks.
The Government also encourages hospitals to implement "green travel schemes" to encourage staff and patients to use public transport.
Reader views (12)
Alex, London
I agree with you, you really don`t understand, do you ?
You ask "Why should they spend money on security and maintaining car parks when this money is better spent on patient care" That is exactly what they do, with a nice profit, yes PROFIT. After maintenance and security costs they still achieve millions. how much of this profit is improving patient care ? Maybe one day if you have to drive to hospital and are delayed for one reason or another and end up paying through the nose you will understand. Not everybody can manage public transport or have a lift you know. �12 per day to park in a hospital car park is obscene, particularly when you add the stress and worry of being there in the first place.
- John E, Northants (ex Putney)
If non patients wouldnt abuse the system then there were be no call for charging. I know none-patients who regularly park at hospitals because the daily charge is still way cheaper than elsewhere. Our greed brought this about.
- Michael Riley, London
I never had a problem with parking charges when I lived in London. Why shouldn't the hospitals charge? They should focus on treating patients instead of security and maintenence. I think some sort of voucher or subsidy for the pensioners and others who can't afford it is reasonable. Where I live now, the small hospital I am closest to offers free parking. People use the parking for the shops nearby. The house accross the street when they have big gatherings uses the hospital lot as "spill over" parking. As a result, the actual patients don't have enough spaces and it has been more than once an old lady is pushing her walker across the lot--absolutely ridiculous.
- Maya, Chicago, IL, USA
I don't really understand what all the fuss is about - why shouldn't hospitals charge for parking? If people don't want to pay they can alsways use public transport or have somebody drop them off at the hospital. Why should hospitals provide free parking for shops and offices nearby? Why should they spend money on maintaining car parks and security when this money is better spent treating patients? If I was driving I would be happy to pay to park my car - that's what I'm doing on all other car parks.
- Alex, London
Actually the charges are not that bad, my new born being in intensive care - I was given an unconditional pass for £5 until my baby was fit and well enough to come home with us. Yes sometimes the charges are high if you go frequently but I do think that some of this money does get put back into the car parks, ie. better lighting, foot paths etc etc.
- Henry, Kent
Sir:
Vanessa Bourne’s (Patient’s Association) suggestion that hospital parking is “exorbitant” is an exaggeration that lacks appropriate context (‘London hospitals and health trusts collected more than £13million from parking charges in one year’ 6.3).
If hospital parking was free, those who do not choose - or cannot afford - to own a car would be subsidising those who do and can. Should these patients and visitors benefit from a reimbursement for their public transport fares?
It is the patients and visitors who benefit from managed hospital car parks. It is absolutely critical that hospitals - particularly those within urban areas - set car parking charges at a rate which will deter commuters and shoppers who may abuse the system, as was the case before charges were introduced. Token systems that have been tried before are open to abuse, have been shown to be fundamentally flawed and the equipment required is not suitable for all car parks.
Charges were not introduced to generate income but rather, to ensure that key staff, bona fida patients and visitors were able to park at the hospital. Without income to support the car park maintenance – security, upkeep of facilities and staff – funds that should be dedicated to healthcare provisions would have to be used instead. Management takes money; car parks need to be physically maintained, secured and powered. Somebody somewhere has to pay.
- Grahame Rose, Hampstead, UK
Perhaps if hospitals offered free parking vouchers for all patients, both day appointments and long term ie more than one day that would solve all of the problems.
Not likly to happen though because money & income is a greater driver than actual customer care, which is always poor in a captive market.
I guess the hospitals could always offer to refund any cab fares on production of receipts !
- Sick, Of Paying - North London, London, England
Having had to pick someone up from St Helier the other day I can sympathise. I was phoned by the hospital asking if I could pick them as their procedure was finished at 11:02am, at 12:23pm they were released into my care and I could take them home, not only did I waste over an hour of my time standing around but I was then charged £3. Why do the staff phone if they know the patient isn't ready? Is there a conspiracy to garner as much profit from the car park as possible?
- Bob, Cheam
I believe my parents had to pay £10 per day at the Marsden in Surrey - that adds up quite a bit if you're a pensioner and there to support a spouse every day for weeks or months.
"Trust bosses argue the charges are necessary to prevent shoppers and office workers exploiting free parking" - then patients and their visitors should be given a rebate on their ticket as they leave!
- Roz, Chamonix, France
Odd though it may seem I know one hospital where it cheaper to park in the local supermarket and go to the hospital than park in the hospital itself. Perhaps we really do need a head examination
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, London
Another aspect is that when you park you have to guess how long you will be on an appointment, get it wrong because of the hospitals' fault and you are still penalised financially for overstaying.
I suspect most people overpay to avoid a penalty, more win - win for the hospital.
- Frank H., London.
I pay £1.60 per hour at Queens Mary Hospital in Roehampton. A great new hospital who warn in advance of the charges. I don't object too much if the appointment times are kept but often appointments slip and the parking bill mounts. Perhaos fairer to charge a flat rate parking charge.
- John, Kingston
