Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that NHS hospital car parking charges are proportionate.

The NHS Car Parking Guidance is clear that charges, where they exist, should be reasonable for the area.

The Government has delivered on its commitment to ensure that free car parking is provided for those with greatest need. To begin with, the guidance includes disabled people who are holders of a valid Blue Badge attending hospital as a patient or visitor or otherwise employed by the hospital trust. Disabled patients and visitors receive free parking for the duration of their attendance at, or visit to, the hospital. Disabled employees receive free parking while at the hospital for purposes relating to their employment.

It also includes frequent outpatient attenders where parking will be provided free to all outpatients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within a month and for an overall period of at least three months. A ‘month’ is defined as a period of 30 days.

Additionally, it encompasses the parents of sick children staying overnight. The parent of a child in hospital overnight is a parent or guardian of a child or young person, under 18 years old, who is admitted as an inpatient at hospital overnight. They receive free parking between the hours of 7.30pm and 8.00am while visiting the child. This would apply to a maximum of two vehicles.

Lastly, the policy also caters for staff working night shifts who are members of staff with a shift starting after 7.30pm and ending before 8.00am. They receive free parking for the duration of their shift.

All National Health Service trusts that charge for hospital car parking have implemented this policy.