MORECAMBE Bay hospitals, including Furness and Westmorland General, earned over a million pounds from parking fees last year, according to new figures. 

The latest NHS England figures show University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust (UHMBT) earned £1.1 million from parking charges in 2023 – up from £425,000 the year before.

This was made up of a combination of £866,000 from visitors, and £271,000 from staff.

The figures represent the gross income earned by the NHS and do not consider its own costs for providing car parking.

A local NHS boss said they 'do not see parking as an income.' 

There was also a reduction in parking spaces available at the sites across Morecambe Bay. In 2022 there were 2,403, there is now 2,274. 

The Liberal Democrats have called the fees a 'tax on caring,' and the Conservatives were failing to deliver on a manifesto promise to crack down on unfair hospital car parking fees.

Scott Mclean, chief operating officer of UHMBT, said: "The increase in the figures is primarily due to the fact that staff began paying for parking permits in 2022 - following a nationally mandated period of free parking during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were also more face-to-face hospital appointments taking place than in the previous year due to the relaxation of Covid-19 rules, therefore more visitors were using the car parks.  

"We do not see parking as an income. Money raised from parking on our sites is used to cover the costs of maintaining our car parks and keeping them secure for all to use safely. Our car park charges reflect the rates of local council-owned car parks for visitors, and staff parking permit charges for those that choose to park on site are in line with those of other NHS providers in the area.

"Discounted parking is also available to patients and visitors who might need to attend the hospital more frequently.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said parking charges are needed to help manage capacity at NHS sites. 

"We will always support hardworking NHS staff and we have delivered on the commitment to provide free hospital car parking in England for those most in need," they said.

"Since 2022, all trusts have made hospital car parking free for blue badge holders, parents of very sick children, frequent attenders and NHS staff on night shifts, and this the first time that NHS hospital car parking has been free nationally across England for these groups."