HOSPITALS in Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch made nearly £2.5 million in car parking charges last year.

Figures released following a Freedom of Information request revealed Poole Hospital made £1,162,653 million and the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust took £1,304,000m from charging patients, staff and visitors for parking in 2014/15.

Nationally, 89 NHS trusts who responded to the Freedom of Information request out of 120 trusts made more than £120 million in total – up 5 per cent on the year before.

But in 2014/15 Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust took £1.35million, while Poole Hospital took £1.16 million, making their income slightly lower this year.

A spokesman for Poole Hospital Trust said its charges are in line with national guidance set out by the Department of Health. He said: “Parking charges for patients and visitors are in line with those set by the local council, with money raised contributing to the cost of operating and maintaining the car park, including staffing and security. Any additional revenue is reinvested to support patient care.

“Patients undergoing lengthy treatment, and their visitors, can park at a reduced fixed rate of £1.80 per day, while discounts are available to other groups, including parents of children requiring an overnight stay.”

Stuart Hunter, director of finance at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said: “We are mindful that many of our patients, cancer patients for example, visit the hospital regularly for treatments and tests. For these patients we offer free parking when they come in for treatment.

“We also offer free parking for tax exempt vehicles, long-term inpatients and on a case by case basis.”

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said it was unfair that hospital parking in Wales and Scotland was largely free but that patients in England were still forced to pay.

She added: “The shocking reality about car parking charges is that they are taking money from the sick and vulnerable to top up NHS coffers. This is not what car parking charges should be used for.

“The NHS is clearly underfunded, but the onus on meeting the funding crisis should most certainly not be shouldered by the sick, injured and vulnerable.

“We take a very clear line that car parking fees need to be scrapped or strictly capped.”

At Poole Hospital, which provides 294 spaces on site for patients and visitors and a further 38 free spaces for disability permit holders, charges start at £1.80 for up to two hours, rising to £9 for 24 hours. Staff pay between £15 and £30 a month.

At the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, which provides 705 spaces, one hour costs £1.20, two hours is £2 and 24 hours is £7.

Earlier this year, Poole Hospital shift workers told the Daily Echo they felt ‘demoralised and stressed’ after being told they could no longer park at the hospital and had to walk to park at Poole Stadium or the Dolphin Centre instead – while workers said their managers were unaffected by the changes.