Hospital to reintroduce charges at staff car parks

Cars have been seen parking on grass verges and double yellow lines at the James Paget University Hospital

A hospital is reintroducing charges at its staff car parks after fees were temporarily suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The James Paget University Hospital (JPH) in Gorleston, Norfolk, said fees would be reintroduced from 1 December to bring the hospital in line with other NHS trusts.

Hospital workers and the Unison union said they were unhappy at the timing of the announcement due to the cost of living crisis and Christmas approaching.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, meanwhile, is consulting staff on parking charges.

Parking charges for NHS hospital staff in England were waived by the government in March 2020 and reintroduced at some trusts from March 2022.

One staff member at the JPH, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC Radio Norfolk: "None of us have got that disposable income at the moment and to reintroduce a car parking charge at this time really does stick the knife in.

"It just doesn't cut the mustard when you have got to pay to park but you haven't actually got anywhere to park and sometimes it is on the grass."

Before charges were put on hold, James Paget staff paid £12 or £24 per month, depending on their salary

On Tuesday, cars at the hospital could be seen parked on double yellow lines and on grass verges, while two staff car parks appeared to be full.

A number of parking spaces were lost when the hospital built its new £15m 'concept ward' which opened earlier this year.

A spokesperson at JPH said: "Parking charges will remain at the same rate that were in place prior to their temporary suspension during the pandemic.

"At the same time as reintroducing charges for staff, the hospital is implementing a new car parking management system for staff.

"Introducing this new system will also help address the safety of parking on site, and improve access for both patients and staff."

Last month, JPH applied for planning permission to build a 370-space multi-storey car park.

The hospital is due to be replaced with a new site by 2030, as part of a national rebuilding project.

Meanwhile, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital said national funding for staff car parking during the pandemic ended in March 2022 and it reintroduced charges two months later, although staff did not pay to park at weekends or overnight.

Strategy Director Simon Hackwell said: “We have consulted with our staff and introduced measures to help staff with their travel to work.

"We offer a free park and ride service from Costessey and a new shuttle service from Thickthorn Park and Ride site launched this year."