HCSA – the hospital doctors union has called for car parking charges to be scrapped after a huge 24 per cent leap in the amount NHS staff are being charged just to turn up for work.
The total amount paid out by staff reached £86.2 million in 2018-19, up from £69.5m in 2017-18.
Twenty-two Trusts charged staff more than £1 million each in 2018-19, with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (£3.05m) and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (£2.23m) the worst offenders.
HCSA President Dr Claudia Paoloni said: “It is a disgrace that hospital doctors and other staff are having to subsidise Trusts in financial difficulties through a stealth tax on their employment. Essential shift and on-call staff in hospitals are hit particularly hard.
“The amounts being raised in this way are eyewatering – Trusts should hang their heads in shame for allowing this charges regime to continue. They know, because we have raised the issue again and again at a local level, that this is a major concern for medical staff.
“To hospital doctors and other NHS employees, this projects a casual disregard for morale and a clear lack of respect on the part of their employers.
“These figures may be a pin prick compared to the overall NHS budget, but they have a disproportionate impact on hospital staff at a time when we are already struggling with retention and recruitment.”
Trusts charging £1m+ for staff parking charges
| Trust | Staff parking charges 2018-19 (£) |
| MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 3,056,515 |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BIRMINGHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 2,231,431 |
| LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,989,710 |
| SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,897,191 |
| EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,870,248 |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE NHS TRUST | 1,837,289 |
| PENNINE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,631,156 |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUST | 1,507,131 |
| NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,386,798 |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SOUTHAMPTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,327,478 |
| MID YORKSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,295,113 |
| ROYAL LIVERPOOL AND BROADGREEN UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,250,249 |
| NORTH WEST ANGLIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,222,691 |
| FRIMLEY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,172,463 |
| EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE NHS TRUST | 1,169,670 |
| CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,162,212 |
| THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,147,377 |
| AINTREE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,090,982 |
| SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,075,340 |
| GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,048,832 |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF DERBY AND BURTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | 1,046,300 |
| UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST | 1,001,607 |
