Hospital staff working for the main NHS trust in Brighton paid more than £2.5 million to park at work in the past year, according to a trade union.
The GMB said that the cost hit low-paid staff the hardest as it cited figures published by NHS Digital on Thursday (19 December).
The union said that the trust that runs the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, earned more from staff car parking charges than any other in the south east.
The figures also showed that the trust, University Hospitals Sussex, made almost £1.4 million from patient and visitor parking charges. Disabled parking is free.
The trust has said previously that it had to ration the limited number of parking bays and cover the annual six-figure cost of managing parking spaces at a time when its finances are stretched.
The cost of parking for hospital staff has become a hot topic over the past few years, with many starting or finishing work at unsocial hours and lacking realistic public transport options.
Also on Thursday (19 December), the former Liberal Democrat election candidate Robert Brown asked Brighton and Hove City Council to look at parking permit options for hospital staff in Kemp Town.
He said that NHS workers had t pay more than £50 a week to park in the area near the Royal Sussex, the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and the Sussex Eye Hospital.
On taking office in May last year, Labour reviewed and overturned parking charge increases that had been due to take effect in the streets around the Royal Sussex. The party criticised the previous Green administration for having proposed the increases.
Labour has since announced a city-wide parking review which is expected to look at this and other complaints.
So the costs are 6 figures but the income is 7 figures. Clearly making a profit from the sick and hard working.
BHCC hates motorists. Pure and simple.
Acquisitive Brighton Council.
To say the least, an unfortunate state of affairs. I now from personal experience how hard staff work so often in troublesome conditions and circumstances. Overcrowding and staff shortages are very real concerns and I would hope for a swift resolution to this situation
It makes for a set expense in one’s budget, however, if the car parking aspect within the Hospital is making a profit, there’s a good argument to be made that the profits should pay for worker parking and/or park-and-ride schemes.