Hospital Car Park Charging - Southampton tops the League of Shame

11.37.26am GMT Tue 20th Mar 2007

Sick and vulnerable patients were charged more than £95million in hospital parking fees last year, despite a Government pledge to bring down charges.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that 30 hospital trusts netted more than £1million a year each from car parks, with two raking in more than £2million from patients and relatives.

Top of the league was local NHS Trust Southampton University Hospitals, which collected £2,414,672 in parking fees last year.

Local MP Sandra Gidley said

"The trust claims the cash is put directly back into parking services at the hospital. I would like to see the evidence of this

"The money, like in most other areas, is probably being used to plug the deficits rather than go towards patient care

"This is nothing more than a tax on the sick and vulnerable, it is unacceptable that some patients have had to pay out hundreds of pounds to attend hospital for treatment"

"Last July, a report by the Commons Health Select Committee of which I am a member described the charging system as 'a complete mess' and condemned the fees as outdated and unfair, but the number of trusts notching up an annual £1million in fees has almost trebled in the past year, it is time for the Government to either reduce the fees or scrap them entirely."