The Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust earned £1.7 million in car parking fees in the 2023/24 financial year, including £725,000 from staff.
Patients and visitors spent another £931,000, but free parking is provided for Blue Badge holders, people parking overnight and visitors to end-of-life patients, among others.
The trust spent £154,000 on parking services over the same period, meaning it made a total of £1.5 million from parking in the year to March.
Across England, NHS trusts made a net revenue of £165.6m from parking charges, which included £70.5 million charged to NHS staff.
Salisbury’s branch of the Unison trade union has called for staff parking charges to be scrapped but appreciates steps taken to reduce the financial burden on hospital workers.
Unions have called for staff parking charges to be scrapped (Image: Spencer Mulholland Photography) A spokesperson said: “Unison and the joint union committee at the district hospital opposed the introduction of staff parking charges when they were first introduced in 2011 and we continue to do so as they represent a form of extra tax for working for the NHS.
“We do, however, welcome the fact that the hospital has banded charging according to salary and has in the last couple of years agreed to reinvest some of the monies raised in funding cheaper bus passes for staff.
“Despite this, it is still a revenue-raising measure and, on that basis, we oppose the charges as, in our opinion, all funding for NHS services should come via the government.
“The fact is that government still underfunds the NHS and sadly many NHS organisations in England choose to raise extra income from their staff in this way.”
GMB, a union that represents thousands of NHS staff, across the UK, says workers have suffered “rocketing workloads, chronic understaffing and the fallout from a global pandemic”.
National secretary Rachel Harrison said: “Health workers are on their knees. They need help and support.
“Charging them to park is kicking them while they are down.”
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A spokesperson for the Salisbury NHS Trust says money raised from car parking charges at the hospital is re-invested in other services.
“If the income from car parking was not available, the trust would have to replace the income from somewhere else or reduce what is spent,” they said.
“Last year, to support staff travel to work, the trust spent £80,000 on a staff discount for the Reds buses, £150,000 on a free staff Hopper Bus and £14,000 on the car sharing platform Liftshare.
“In addition, £120,000 was spent on car park staff, maintenance and lighting for the car parks.
“Free parking is provided for staff working night shifts from 7.30pm.
“Free parking is also provided for all Blue Badge holders, patients and visitors between 10pm and 6am, those on site for 30 minutes or less, anyone visiting an end-of-life patient, patients with frequent outpatient appointments and those attending for oncology and renal treatment.
“Data has indicated that approximately 19 per cent of attendees don’t pay for parking at the hospital.”