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Hospital parking: three out of 10 NHS hospitals in England charging staff for facilities

Nurses and other hospital staff are expected to pay for parking at 348 out of the 1,175 hospitals, says motoring research charity RAC Foundation 
Hospital staff parking charges

Nurses and other hospital staff are expected to pay for parking at 348 out of the 1,175 hospitals, says motoring research charity RAC Foundation 


Birmingham Children’s Hospital was one of two hospitals in England with
the highest average parking charge for staff per hour. Picture: Newsteam

Three out of ten NHS hospitals in England are charging staff for car parking, with some demanding £80 a week, according to analysis of figures.

Nurses and other hospital staff are expected to pay for parking at 348 out of the 1,175 hospitals with such facilities.

Motoring research charity RAC Foundation released the figures after analysing data taken from the NHS Estates Return Information Collection 2016-2017 published last year by NHS Digital.

Pay £80 for 40-hour working week

The charity found the highest average charge for staff is £2 per hour at both Edgware Community Hospital in London and at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

That is the equivalent of £80 for a 40-hour working week.

Many of the trusts featured on the list offer schemes or parking permits which see staff pay considerably less to park per-hour than patients and visitors do.

‘Public transport not an option’

RCN senior employment relations adviser Gerry O'Dwyer said: ‘Hefty parking charges are disadvantaging nursing staff who work around the clock to keep our NHS afloat.

‘Many work through the night to care for patients and using public transport to get home isn't an option.

‘Hospital car parks require running and maintenance costs but after years of pay restraint nursing staff should not be overcharged for doing their jobs.'

He added: ‘The government isn't giving the NHS the funding it needs, but struggling hospitals should not try to make money off their staff.

‘Need reasonable and affordable charges’

‘Their goodwill won't last forever. We need reasonable car parking provision with reasonable and affordable charges.’

A recent Press Association investigation found NHS hospital trusts made a record £175 million from charging patients, staff and visitors to park during 2016-17.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: ‘Many hospitals are in built-up locations, so some sort of control is inevitable, but this needs to be proportionate and stress-free.’


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