Hospital car parks rake in £1.6m

HOSPITALS across the area raked in more than £1.6 million in car parking charges last year, new figures have revealed.

A breakdown shows £919,689 was paid out by visitors and a further £759,823 by members of staff — a combined £1.67 million in hospitals run by the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital.

The figures are 14.1 per cent up on the previous year’s total of £1.47 million.

A trust spokesman said: “Because we are one of the largest trusts in the country, running four hospitals, we have a large number of car parking spaces compared with other trusts.

“Department of Health data has shown that the hourly rate for visitors parking at our hospitals compares very favourably with rates charged at many other hospitals across the country. In fact, some hospitals charge more than six times the hourly rate of car parks operated by Pennine Acute Trust.”

Parking revenue is used to provide manned security, floodlighting and CCTV at all car parks as well as for maintenance and enforcement.

He added: “Our main priority is to increase the number of parking spaces available for patients and visitors.

“Our transport and access strategy sees us suggest and promote green travel options for staff, patients and visitors alike, particularly public transport, but many people do continue to opt to use their cars, so we have to manage that issue in a fair way.

“To help with this, we are introducing a new vehicle parking policy to manage parking more effectively, make better use of spaces, improve enforcement and reduce demand.”

Macmillan Cancer Relief has called for an end to hospital parking charges, claiming they prey on the vulnerable. Cancer patients make around 60 hospital visits for their treatment, and many are charged up to £30 for a day’s parking, the charity said.

Health chiefs in England have come under pressure to scrap charges after fees were abolished at hospitals in Scotland and Wales last year. But a spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We do not think it a sensible use of tax payer’s money to subsidise free car parking at hospitals for anyone who wants to use it.

“Our priority is the speed and quality of health care. Waiting times in England are shorter than in Scotland or Wales.”