AS car parking charges are reintroduced for NHS hospital staff in England, we take a look at how much money NHS Trusts were making from them before they were scrapped in March 2020.
Car parking charges will be reintroduced for NHS staff at hospitals in England this Friday (April 1).
The fees were temporarily suspended, but Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the pandemic had moved to a new stage.
Read more: The North East hospitals scrapping negative Covid tests for visitors
But most recent data from NHS Digital revealed how much money was spent by patients, staff and visitors on car parks at NHS Trusts in the North East.
NHS Digital said that total gross income generated includes gross contributions from patients and visitors, service level agreements with other NHS organisations, fines, and parking permits.
Read more: The last date you can collect free Covid lateral flow tests in Darlington
Here’s how much some NHS Foundation Trusts in the North East were making from car parking charges for the financial year 2019/20:
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust:
£74,3001 from patients and visitors
£679,982 from staff
Total: £1,422,983
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust:
£400,695 from patients and visitors
£50,4654 from staff
Total: £905,349
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust:
£135,9187 from patients and visitors
£748,976 from staff
Total: £2,108,163
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust:
£1,412,638 from patients and visitors
£705,801 from staff
Total: £2,118,439
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:
£1,945,822 from patients and visitors
£1,300,731 from staff
Total: £3,246,553
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust:
£1,708,585 from patients and visitors
£1,050,124 from staff
Total: £2,758,709
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:
£2,215,342 from patients and visitors
£1,147,377 from staff
Total: 3,362,719
York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:
£1,891,172 from patients and visitors
£220,751 from staff
Total: £2,111,923
Harrogate and District NHS foundation Trust:
£596,778 from patients and visitors
£124,991 from staff
Total: £721,769
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Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said: “Charging the NHS staff who've risked their lives during the pandemic to park at work is a sick joke.
“After the years of Tory cuts NHS trusts are struggling, we know. But scrabbling the money back off hard up workers is not the answer.
“The Government must now legislate for free hospital staff parking once and for all.”
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