‘Cut hospital car park charges that penalise patients who are delayed’

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London Assembly member Andrew Boff said patients or their relatives often overpaid to avoid incurring penalties if appointments over-ran.

In the week ending December 7, 7,623 people attending main A&E departments in London had to wait more than the target four hours as the NHS came under the greatest pressure in a decade.

Today Mr Boff proposed changing “pay-and-display” car parks, where tickets are purchased in advance, for a “pay on exit” system that charges only for the time used.

Such a system is already in place at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust, which runs Queen’s hospital in Romford and King George in Ilford.

Mr Boff, leader of the Assembly’s Tory group, said: “Parking in hospital car parks can be a costly business for many patients and their families.

“It is important to remember that a large number of those having to visit hospitals are on fixed incomes, such as pensioners and the disabled. A blanket use of pay on exit systems could avoid overcharging and possible fines for those over-running ticket times.”

His report, Pay And Dismay, found Hillingdon Hospital charged £2.70 for an hour’s parking and £5.20 for more than two hours.

Newham hospital charges £4.50 for three to six hours.

Barnet and Chase Farm charge £6 for four to six hours.

Parking is free at Homerton but there are only about 30 spaces.

Many hospitals reserve free spaces for Blue Badge holders and patients undergoing cancer treatment and dialysis.

Whipps Cross offers free vouchers to parents with a child in its paediatric wards.

But there were no concessions for patients or relatives visiting hospitals on an irregular basis, the report said.

There are 19 million outpatient appointments in the capital each year.

The report noted that Macmillan Cancer Care estimated the average parking cost at a London hospital to be £11.85.

The report suggested that hospitals cut the number of subsidised spaces offered to staff and encourage them to use public transport.

It said by doing this, NHS trusts could retain similar levels of income from parking.