Some of the most expensive hospital car parks in the UK have been revealed, where you will be feeling pain in your wallet as well as anywhere else on your body.
Figures published last week show that some drivers in London are paying more than £50 a day to park their cars, with those wanting to leave their car at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust paying an eye-watering £77 per day.
The NHS made a record £154million from car parking charges in 2019, with just seven hospitals offering free parking and with A&E units in England failing to deliver average waiting times of less than four hours - a trip to the hospital will hurt in more ways than one.
London dominates the list of expensive daily parking, accounting for the top six most expensive rates, though hospitals in Sussex, South Yorkshire, Luton and Portsmouth all make the top ten list.
The Conservative manifesto prior to December’s general election promised to tackle unfair hospital parking charges, with the aim of eliminating costs for those in need, while making sure there are enough spaces for everyone.
But for those drivers travelling to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust there is unlikely to be any respite. In a statement to This Is Money a spokesman said: “To ensure our car parking spaces remain available for our patients and are not misused by members of the public visiting central London, the £3.20 hourly cost of parking at St Thomas' Hospital is in line with local parking facilities. The site is also very well served by local public transport links,' they added.
“The car park serves the whole of St Thomas’ Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital, not just our Emergency Department.
“We use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to make sure that people only pay for the exact time they use the car park, avoiding the need for patients to pay a higher daily charge. We also offer a discounted rate of £5 per day or £25 for seven days in certain cases.
“This could include when someone visits one of our long-term patients on a daily basis. Disabled badge holders attending an appointment with their appointment letter and their valid disabled badge on the day are offered free parking.”
10 most expensive daily parking rates at A&E in England
1. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (London) - £77
2. Whittington Health NHS Trust (London) - £72
3. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (London) - £52.80
4. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (London) - £40
5. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (London) - £29
6. St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (London) - £25
=7. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (Sussex) - £20
=7. Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust (South Yorkshire) - £20
=7. Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Bedfordshire) - £20
10. Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (Hampshire) - £18.20