Scandal of hospital car parking charges costing Britain 'up to £200MILLION'
The criticism comes in response to figures showing the fees bring in around £200million a year in England 
Scandal: Hospital car parking charges are costing the country up to £200m Car park charges at hospitals have been blasted as “a tax on sick people” by a patients’ group.
The criticism comes in response to figures showing the fees bring in around £200million a year in England.
Some hospital trusts are tied into lengthy deals meaning most or all of the revenue goes to private firms.
Bereaved relatives, cancer patients , the disabled, and even nurses are among those who have to stump up for parking .
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “It is a tax on sick people who sometimes struggle to pay.
Raking it in: Leicester Royal InfirmaryHospital car parks are often managed by private contractors who take a huge percentage of the profits.”
She added: “This is morally wrong – and charging disabled people is a disgrace.”
READ MORE: NHS hospital trusts raking in £100MILLION from car parking charges - is your local trust taking millions?
Ms Murphy said that instead of being spent on recruiting and training nurses, the revenue is lining the pockets of companies that “only think of profits and not patients”.
She added it was unfair that hospital parking in Wales and Scotland is free but people in England must pay.
Cash cow: Seven NHS trusts earned more than £3m last year
Almost half of the trusts charge disabled people for parking.
Shadow Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “For some patients and their
families, the costs can really rack up, which is why these figures are so worrying.”
End charges: Jeremy Hunt has told hospitals to end parking chargesAt Warrington general hospital in Cheshire, Rick Clayton, 68, who has spent a number of days visiting a relative, said: “The charges are mounting up and it can end up being very expensive.”
Figures from 90 trusts that responded to Freedom of Information requests showed their total car park revenue was more than £100million in 2014/2015.
Senior NHS sources told the Mirror the total figure for all 329 trusts in England would be around £200million.
Anger: Andrew Gwynne says something must be doneSeven of the 90 trusts raked in more than £3million.
The biggest revenue was at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust which pulled in £3.8million – £1.2million of this was paid by its staff.
Mark Neal, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, which raked in £3.7million, said: “We have to charge for car parking to cover the costs of maintaining car parks (otherwise we would have to use money that would be spent on patient care) and in an area of high demand for car parking to deter people using our car parks for purposes other than visiting our hospitals.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Patients and families shouldn’t have to deal with the added stress of unfair parking charges.”
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/scandal-hospital-car-parking-charges-7053924Article ends
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Hospitals rake in more than £3m each from parking fees - including for the disabled
An investigation reveals rising parking charges across NHS hospitals, with half of trusts charging the disabled for parking 
NHS hospital trusts have been accused of levying a "tax on sick people" after an investigation revealed some are making more than £3 million a year from car parking fees.
Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures reveal that hospitals are increasing the amount of income taken in parking fees for staff, patients and visitors.
Almost half of all trusts charged disabled people for parking in some or all of their disabled spaces.
Nurses say they have been left on the brink of tears, as pressures mount Of more than 90 trusts that responded to the FoI request by the Press Association, half are making at least £1 million a year, with seven making more than £3m a year.
Hospitals are also handing over millions of pounds to private firms to run their car parks for them, and allowing some to cash in on parking fines.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, branded the charges "morally wrong".
She said: "We are concerned that hospitals in England still charge patients for car parking.
"Why is it that patients in Wales and Scotland do not have to pay to park? It is a postcode lottery and a tax on sick people who sometimes struggle to pay.
"The money is never reinvested in frontline services. Hospital car parks are often managed by private contractors who take a huge percentage of the profits.
"This is morally wrong - and charging disabled people is a disgrace."
•Hospitals told to stop profiteering from parking
Rosie Downes, senior campaigns officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The core principle of the NHS is to provide free healthcare for all at the point of access.
"But sadly these latest figures show that some cancer patients in England are still paying extortionate hospital car parking charges in order to access treatment for a life-threatening illness.
"Cancer patients receiving vital treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy will often need to make frequent trips to hospital and unaffordable charges are leaving many out of pocket."
Many trusts defended their revenues, saying some or all of the money was put back into patient care or was spent on maintaining car parks or grounds.
Others claimed their sheer size and the fact that they serve busy neighbourhoods meant they took more in revenue.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust raised £3,126,108 from car park charges in 2014/15, up on the £3,002,865 in 2013/14.
Meanwhile, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust raised £3,160,913 in 2014/15, up on the £2,977,109 in 2013/14.
Some NHS trusts also raised a significant amount from charging staff for parking. University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust took £3,876,314 in parking charges in 2014/15, of which £1,206,836 was from staff.
Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said: "When patients go to hospital, the last thing they want to worry about is keeping the car parking ticket up to date. For some patients and their families, the costs can really rack up, which is why these figures are so worrying.”
•Patients charged £4 to park at hospitals
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "We expect all NHS organisations to follow our guidelines on car parking, including offering discounts to disabled people.
"Patients and families shouldn't have to deal with the added stress of unfair parking charges and our guidance rightly helps the public hold the NHS to account for any unfair charges or practices."
NHS trusts which made at least £3 million a year from car parking charges in 2014/15.
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust £3.12 million
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust £3.16 million
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust £3.41 million
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust £3.72 million
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust £3.07 million
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust £3.87 million
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust £3.25 million
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/12062569/Hospitals-rake-in-more-than-3m-each-from-parking-fees-including-for-the-disabled.html==========================================================
