Some hospitals are making profits of more than a million pounds a year from patients, visitors and staff using their car parks.
A new report reveals the profit margins made from car park fees at 23 of England’s busiest trusts, over three years.
The trusts were asked how much they spend on running parking facilities, what they charge for four-hour parking and how much they make from patients, visitors and staff using their car parks.
In 2008/09, profit margins ranged from just 3% (£31,385) at Gloucestershire Hospitals to 534% (£1,070,476) at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital.
Four-hour fees also differed, with the cheapest and most expensive trusts actually making a loss: from £1.10 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals (£253,981 - a 9% loss) to £5 at Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals (£335,643 - a 26% loss) for the same period.
Trusts aren’t supposed to run parking at a loss - to stop it being subsidised by money intended for healthcare. Charging also aims to encourage public transport use and to keep out non-hospital users, the report by Which? magazine claimed.
A spokesperson from Norfolk & Norwich said that it hadn’t increased charges in the past five years and that revenue goes into improving patient care. Others explained that income funded the upkeep and security of car parks, with any remainder supporting patient care.
Claire Lilley, Which? health policy adviser, said: “The NHS principle is that healthcare is funded through taxation not by patients paying for ancillary services. Our research shows high charges don’t always result in high profits but, where they do, these charges should be reduced.”
Car park balance sheet of 23 trusts 2008/2009: profit/loss
Leeds Teaching Hospitals -25%
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals -12%
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals -9%
University Hospitals of Leicester -9%
Pennine Acute Hospitals -8%
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals -1%
Gloucestershire Hospitals 3%
North Bristol 12%
Derby Hospitals 16%
Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals 26%
Nottingham University Hospitals 63%
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals 106%
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals 112%
East Kent Hospitals 175%
Southampton University Hospitals 342%
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital 534%
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Not available
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Not available
Portsmouth Hospitals Not available
University Hospital of North Staffordshire Not available
United Bristol Hospitals Not available
East Lancashire Hospitals Not available
South Tees Not available
Tags: Charges
