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

Patients and visitors 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, the Liberal Democrat’s prospective parliamentary 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."

An RUH spokesperson said: “We have a limited number of car parking spaces and by charging for parking we ensure a regular turnover of spaces, discouraging people who are not using the hospital from parking all day and travelling into the city centre.

“Money raised from charges is used to cover the cost of the parking contract as well as maintenance and lighting. The model is not designed to raise profit, but any additional money will go back to the RUH.

“There are a number of exemptions, including for parents whose children are in hospital, relatives of patients who are nearing the end of their life or are critically ill, carers of patients who are on a ward or in the Emergency Department, oncology patients, and Blue Badge holders.

“In addition, we support and encourage eligible patients who have a low income or who are in receipt of certain benefits to claim reimbursement via the national Health Care Travel Costs Scheme.”