Greg Mulholland MP

LEEDS HOSPITALS AT TOP OF STAFF CARPARKING CHARGES TABLE

New figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats following a Freedom of Information request have revealed that Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust receives more in car parking charges from its staff than any other hospital trust in the country.

The figures were revealed as part of a national FOI request which showed that hospitals in England made £103 million from car parking charges (from patients, visitors and staff) in 2006-07. A full breakdown of the figures can be found below.

Commenting on the figures, Leeds MP and Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Health Greg Mulholland said:

"We must make sure that car park charges are proportionate and affordable for those who work in or visit hospital.

"In particular, people with chronic illness who attend hospital regularly are being hammered by exorbitant charges, and we must look at waiving these fees.

"Hospitals must ensure that their policies do not penalise the most vulnerable. We must not allow car parking charges to be a tax on sickness."

ENDS

Notes to editors

Full information and background on the FOI can be found below:

Details and background

Income

Figures on income raised through hospital car parking charges in 2006-07, are available here. These figures do not appear to have been publicised before. They show that out of 393 different NHS organisations across England:

• £103 million was paid by visitors, patients and staff for parking their cars in hospitals during 2006-07
• £78 million was made from parking charges levied on visitors and patients and another £25 million from charges paid by staff
• 6 NHS trusts are making more than £2 million a year from parking charges, 31 are making more than £1 million a year.
• The trust making most from both visitors/patients and staff was Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust which received £2.6 million
• The trust making most from visitors alone was Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at £2.2 million
• The trust making most from staff parking was Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust at £1.2 million
• At £3.65 an hour, the highest average fee charged to patients and visitors was levied by the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (i.e. Northwick Park, St Mark's and Central Middlesex Hospitals)
• 190 NHS organisations said they made no money from visitors
• The figure on total income from parking could be higher as 54 NHS organisations provided no data. 9 trusts provided no data on average fee charged per hour for patient / visitor parking

Exemptions

The Liberal Democrats sent a FoI request to acute NHS trusts in England, 92 responded (out of 173). The survey asked about charges levied by trusts on patients, staff and visitors and other methods of income generation.

The survey found that car parking was commonly used as a way of raising money for trusts but there was considerable variation in the categories of patients and visitors who are exempted from car parking charges. For example:

26 trusts do not provide free parking for disabled drivers

43 trusts do not exempt or offer reduced rates for patients regularly attending hospital for dialysis or chemotherapy/radiotherapy

75 trusts do not provide free parking to volunteers despite guidance from the DoH to make them 'special cases'

4 trusts offered no exemptions for any patients or visitors whatever their circumstances

40 trusts appeared unaware of DoH guidance on car parking charges which includes the recommendations:

NHS bodies are strongly recommended to have some kind of 'season ticket' arrangement, allowing free or reduced price parking for:

patients with a long-term illness or serious condition requiring daily or regular treatment;

relatives/prime visitors of patients with a long-term illness or a serious condition requiring daily or regular treatment.

NHS bodies are also recommended to have a weekly cap on car parking charges for patients/visitors having to attend on a daily basis.

For other users, NHS bodies should consider whether a sliding time scale of charges should be in place. Some NHS bodies charge proportionately more for the first 3-4 hours; others do not charge at all for a stay of under 15 minutes. [p.14]

Advertising is another source of revenue for a few trusts. For example:

The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust made £364,105 from advertising Cable & Wireless and Vodafone over the last three years.

Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust made £20,323 over last three years

A handful of trusts made money out of 'aerial farms'.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust made £2,425,168 from its aerial farm on Guy's over last 3 years

Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust made £52,512 on telephone masts over last 3 years

Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust made £96,643 on rooftop aerials over last 3 years

Wirral University Teaching Hospital made £97,000 from phone masts

Kingston Hospital NHS Trust made £248,000 on aerials over last 3 years

James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust made £64,190 on aerials over last 3 years

Several said they make tens of thousands from ultrasound scan pictures:

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust Made £18,000 last year from ultrasound pictures

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust made £55,321 from baby scan photos over last 3 years, and £33,705 from 'amenity beds' in maternity (£70 each for en suite)

Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust made £37,461 from ultra scans over last 3 years

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust makes £6,000 pa from ultrasound scans

Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust made £29,038 from offering massages for staff over last 3 years

Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust made £20,000 on 0845 calls over last 3 years

Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust made money from charging a taxi rank fee

At the West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust they make money from selling maternity unit t-shirts and time of birth certificates

Detailed findings from the official figures

The 10 trusts making most from charging visitors and staff for parking:

Total income from staff and visitor parking 2006-07

(£)

Total income from staff parking 2006-07

(£)

Total income from visitor parking 2006-07

(£)

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

2,567,289

680,197

1,887,092

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2,558,633

419,559

2,139,074

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

2,418,711

663,071

1,755,640

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

2,347,106

1,228,326

1,118,780

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2,086,509

568,134

1,518,375

Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust

2,039,962

338,624

1,701,338

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust

1,907,101

366,220

1,540,881

The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

1,850,264

758,569

1,091,695

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust

1,707,000

210,000

1,497,000

Norfolk And Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust

1,650,589

445,468

1,205,121

The 10 trusts making most from charging visitors for parking:

NHS Trust

Total income from visitor parking 2006-07 (£)

Total income from staff and visitor parking 2006-07

(£)

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2,139,074

2,558,633

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

1,887,092

2,567,289

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

1,755,640

2,418,711

Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust

1,701,338

2,039,962

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust

1,540,881

1,907,101

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

1,518,375

2,086,509

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust

1,497,000

1,707,000

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

1,229,795

1,590,150

Norfolk And Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust

1,205,121

1,650,589

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

1,177,355

1,360,016

The 10 trusts making most from charging staff for parking:

NHS Trust

Total income from staff parking

2006-07

(£)

Total income from staff and visitor parking 2006-07

(£)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

1,228,326

2,347,106

The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

758,569

1,850,264

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

694,080

1,427,495

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

680,197

2,567,289

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

663,071

2,418,711

Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

599,358

1,472,607

Central Manchester And Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust

572,337

1,587,198

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

568,134

2,086,509

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

535,000

1,216,000

Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust

523,239

829,606

NHS trust

Average fee charged per hour for patient/visitor parking (£)

North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (London SHA)

3.65

Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust (East Midlands SHA)

3.30

Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust (South Central SHA)

3.00

Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust (London SHA)

3.00

Luton And Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (East of England SHA)

2.50

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (West Midlands SHA)

2.50

Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (South West SHA)

2.50

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust (East of England SHA)

2.50