NHS hospital trusts in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell have increased parking charges - here's by how much

At least one in four NHS trusts in England raised the cost of parking for either patients, staff or both in the two years to March 2024, according to new research.

The increases were attacked by a patients’ charity as unfairly penalising people who are unwell, while health experts said hospitals trusts are “under huge financial pressure” and cannot afford to maintain car parks free of charge.

Some 37 trusts – 25% of the 147 in England – said they had raised the price of parking at some point between April 2022 and March 2024, according to data compiled by the PA news agency from Freedom of Information requests.

While 122 of the 147 trusts responded to the FoI request, 25 did not, meaning the actual number who upped their charges may be higher.

There were 65 trusts – 44% of the 147 in England – who said there had been no increases during the two-year period.

Parking fees for hospital staff in England were waived in July 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this temporary measure ended on March 31 2022.

At the time, the Department of Health and Social Care said the change had cost around £130 million over two years.

Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “NHS trusts – most of whom are under huge financial pressure – just couldn’t afford to maintain car parks without charging people to use them.

“The last thing trusts want to do is have to divert money away from patient services.

“City centre and urban hospital car parks where spaces are in great demand are a particular challenge.”

The majority of trusts who upped their tariffs during the period did so for patients and visitors.

Short stays – usually of between 10 minutes and 40 minutes – remained free at around a third of the trusts who said they had increased charges.

A number applied increases at some, but not all, hospital sites in the trust.

How much have hospital parking charges risen in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell?

The FOI (Freedom of Information) requests were put to multiple NHS trusts across the country, and 37 responses have shown just how much more people are being asked to fork out in their time of need, with one Black Country trust increasing prices for four different fairs, another trust adding on as much as 80p and a third increasing by four per cent across the board. 

Not all trusts reported the figures in the same way and only some of the trusts provided specific dates for when the rises were applied, others presented tables breaking down each hourly rise and others expressed the change in terms of percentages.

The Black Country trusts that offered their data were The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

According to the data, stays of less than 15 minutes remained free across The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust sites but there was a 20p increase for stays of up to one hour, one to two hours, two to three hours and four to five hours.

Between 2023 and 2024 one to two hours across Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust sites increased from £4 to £4.30, two to three hours increased from £4.50 to £4.80, three to four hours increased from £5 to £5.80, and four to five hours increased from £5.50 to £5.80. There was no change to charges for 5-6 hours, 6-7 hours, 7-8 hours, 8-9 hours, 9-10 hours, 10-11 hours, 11-12 hours, 12-24 hours, or a weekly pass.

And, in Sandwell, there was a blanket increase of 4 per cent across the board. 

The current prices for Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals are free up to 15 minutes, £3.20 for up to one hour, £4.30 for up to two hours, up to 3 hours is £4.80, up to 5 hours is £5.20 and up to 24 hours is £5.90 

While Rowley Regis Hospital differs with three options, free for up to 15 minutes, £3.20 for up to six hours and £5.90 for up to 24 hours. 

The increases shown are any that have taken place in the last two years up until last March. 

Parking prices have been enraging locals across the region recently, and, only last month, residents in Wolverhampton watched as the local council doubled parking charges at some of its city centre sites as it battles to save £33m over the next three years. 

As well as that, parking charges in Dudley were branded 'disgusting' by one trader who was not convinced he would still be in business in January due to fears of a decreased footfall as a result of the increases.