Government urged to scrap hospital parking fees as new figures reveal Royal United Hospital in Bath charged families over £1 million last year

Patients and visitors to the Royal United Hospital in Bath shelled out £1,090,766 in hospital car parking fees last year (2021/22), new NHS figures have revealed.

Chippenham Liberal Democrats called the fees a "tax on the sick" and urged the Government to take action to scrap car parking fees for patients and visitors during the cost of living emergency.

This would be paid for by the government instead of coming out of overstretched hospital budgets.

Sarah Gibson, Liberal Democrat candidate for Chippenham said:

"As our hospitals are pushed to breaking point it is local people who are paying the price.

"This is a tax on the sick and a tax on caring in this community. People in Wiltshire who use the RUH now not only have to worry about terrible waiting times and understaffed hospitals, but also whether they can even afford to visit loved ones.

"The government should immediately provide the funding needed to scrap parking charges for patients and relatives.

"It is completely wrong that local residents have to shell out thousands of pounds to see their ill loved ones during this cost of living emergency.

Source 2021/22: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/england-2021-22

Source 2020/21: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/england-2020-21