Should NHS hospitals be banned from fining patients and visitors for parking?
In England, NHS trusts may set their own parking charges and many use private firms to issue parking charge notices, typically £40 to £100. Government guidance asks for free parking for some groups, such as disabled people, frequent outpatients and parents of children staying overnight, and for leniency, but it is not legally binding. Scotland and Wales largely abolished hospital charges, and Northern Ireland's ban has been postponed again to no later than May 2029. Trusts continue to raise charges in 2026 and say income funds car park upkeep.
5 Opinions
I would support the parking charges on NHS property if the NHS fully controlled it. We have the technology to do this now without outsourcing to private firms & prevent chancers from clogging up busy hospital parking because they don't want to walk a little further. 💫 Edited
Visitors with a valid reason, yes. They have to have parking controls as many are in large urban areas with parking issues. They have to ensure parking is available for those needing the services. There are systems, which many are using to an extent anyway, whereby visitors provide their details in reception, which is linked to ANPR.
If you can afford a car you can afford to pay for parking, and charging for parking saves hospitals money.
Here how it's working. Hospital allow private company to be in charge of parking, which as far as I am concerned is our property alongside the hospital. Small amount of money goes to hospital, the rest to private company. I can bet some money as a bribe goes to people making such decisions. People, ill or sick worried about family and friends will pay.
Privatised parking is one of the worst things in this country. They love to fine you for nothing.