HOSPITALS in Hampshire have made more than £6m in a year from parking fees with Southampton hospitals being among the six in the country to have raked in more than £3m from charging patients and visitors to park.

New figures have revealed that in the last financial year University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) made £3,014,890 from charging visitors and patients to park and an extra £1,327,478 from charging staff members.

According to the data, patients and visitors who parked at hospitals in Winchester, Andover and Basingstoke brought a total of 1,698,974 into Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s coffer while the trust also made £62,000 from staff.

Meanwhile, Solent NHS Trust was the only one across the county to have made no money from staff but it pocketed £211, 285 from patients and visitors who parked at its sites which include St. Mary’s Community Health Campus in Portsmouth.

The trusts said concessions are available for some patients and visitors while staff members are supported through a number of schemes.

But the charges have been described as “morally wrong” with watchdogs saying hospitals should provide free parking.

In a statement the Patients Association said: “Charges for car parking at hospitals are a charge on people who are unwell, levied on them because they are unwell. We believe that patients should not be effectively charged for being ill. Parking at hospitals for patients, carers and visitors should be provided free of charge. However, parking charges currently generate revenue for hospitals, at a time when their finances are under immense pressure.Car parking charges should be removed once a full and sustainable funding settlement for the NHS has been secured and delivered. “

Simon Bolton, Unison South East head of health, said patients and visitors should be treated with compassion.

He added: “It’s morally wrong to be making a profit from staff who are being charged to do their jobs, providing life-saving treatment to the community or helping the vulnerable. Public transport isn’t an option for those working in the early hours.”

The three hospital trusts have stressed that the money raised through parking charges is used for car park maintenance or frontline services.

UHS said its figures reflect the size of the organisation.

Healthwatch Southampton said it has been working with UHS and said the trust now widely publicise the availability of discounts for patients and visitors.

Harry Dymond, inset, chairman of Healthwatch Southampton, added: “Healthwatch Southampton would ideally like to see free car parking at all hospitals but given the state of finances in the NHS, understands the need to charge.

"We understand that in the case of UHS, the money is used directly for patients’ benefit and does not go to a private company. We continue to discuss this with the trust and encourage them to promote the discounts that are available.”

The trust, which runs Southampton General, Princess Anne, Southampton Children’s and Royal South Hants hospitals confirmed it runs its own car parks.

In a statement it added: “This figure reflects the size of the organisation. We offer a wide range of concessions for patients. For staff, those who have a permit for full on-site parking pay a monthly fee linked to their pay band, with a number of other options available that can reduce the cost of parking and the volume of traffic on our sites, such as a discounted car share scheme and nearby park and ride facilities.”

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said free parking is available for a number of patients and visitors, including patients attending hospitals for chemotherapy and visitors to patients being cared for in the trust’s intensive care or neonatal units.

She added: “In addition, patients and visitors who receive income support or other similar benefits can reclaim transport costs as part of the government healthcare travel scheme, while free parking is available for all disabled and blue badge holders in designated spaces at all three of our hospitals. We do not charge staff to park in the dedicated staff car parks at our hospitals. A small number have chosen to pay for a limited number of premium parking spaces that are available at our Basingstoke and Winchester sites, with the proceeds going to our Winchester Hospice appeal. We do not contract out any parking services to private companies, ensuring that any surplus is reinvested in the trust, helping us to provide the best possible care for our patients.”

A spokesperson for Solent NHS Trust said: “Charges are kept to the lowest possible level and is used to pay for the upkeep of the car park, thus not calling on funding better spent on frontline services.”

Parking at UHS costs £2.30 for up to one hour while Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust charges £2.80 for one hour to one hour and a half. Meanwhile, Solent NHS Trust charges patients and visitors £1.50 per hour. Figures revealed that University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust is the one to have made the highest amount from charging patients and visitors last year, pocketing £4,155,560. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges. NHS Trusts are responsible for setting these charges and making sure revenue goes back into frontline services, and we want to see trusts coming up with options that put staff, patients and their families first."