Hospital bosses in North Lincolnshire defend parking charges

Parking revenue at hospitals Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole was up £500,000 last year

Hospital bosses in Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Goole have defended parking charges after generating more than £1.4m last year.

The Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) saw its income increase by £558,036 in 2022-23.

But the data, compiled by a financial review website, shows the trust's all-day, £5.50 parking charge is one of the cheapest in the country.

The trust said the money covers maintenance, security and technology.

An NLAG spokesperson said: "We're able to provide high quality, professional security staff and technology for our sites thanks to funding generated from our on-site car parks.

"These staff are an extremely valuable part of our team, who deal with hundreds of incidents every month," they said.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, security staff at NLAG handled 450 violent or aggressive incidents, 148 instances of crime and anti-social behaviour and supported 332 patients with mental health issues between September and December last year.

The figures also showed an increase in parking revenue at other trusts in the Humber region.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust generated £1,003,308 while the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust saw at 55% increase in its revenue to £987,554.