What are patients saying about car parking at hospitals?

Recent research by Transport Focus, the consumer champion for transport, found that travelling by car is the most common way people get to hospital appointments, with 34% of respondents to their survey driving themselves, and 16% being driven by someone else. 

“I would prefer not to have to drive, but travelling by public transport would involve either several changes or longish walks…”  - survey respondent

Limited, cumbersome or inaccessible routes to the hospital on public transport make travelling by car the necessary choice for many. With so many people opting to drive hospitals need adequate car parking facilities.  

The Government publishes guidance for hospital Trusts on car parking facilities. This covers the groups of people entitled to free parking, and includes information about hospital parking charges, concessions, and information on parking terms and conditions.

What are people saying about hospital parking?

People have shared their experiences with Healthwatch England, and local Healthwatch across the country, with some sharing how they have to arrive two or three hours early to be able to find a free space, or risk missing their appointment. 

“I...drove around and around for 45 minutes until a space came free...I met an elderly couple in the hospital who had turned up at 9am for an 11.30 appointment because they had missed a previous appointment due to not finding a parking space.” - Story shared with Healthwatch England

People described cars being parked where they shouldn’t, such as verges, yellow lines or drop-off spaces. Others parked in nearby streets. We heard about the stress caused by parking challenges, and the additional time burden taken to account for it. 

“Parking at hospital is extremely challenging, with long queues to enter, a one-way system that slows traffic, and very tight spaces. I often have to allow an extra 30 minutes just to park...the journey often requires family members to take time off work to drive me while I have been unwell.” - Story shared with Healthwatch England

“I allowed plenty of time...but spent over 30 minutes driving round and round. Eventually parked on a hatched area which wasn’t a designated parking spot as I was going to be late for my appointment. On leaving and paying £7 to park for an hour I got a parking ticket (£25).” - Story shared with Healthwatch England

What happens when disabled people can't access hospital parking?

Despite disabled people who qualify for a Blue Badge being entitled to free hospital parking under DHSC guidance, they still experienced problems.

Some people shared that there weren’t enough disabled parking spaces. This meant they had to spend time circling the car park, use a normal parking space which wasn’t large enough, or have to park off site. Disabled people whose carer drove them to hospital had to attend their appointment alone while their carer tried to park:

“I had to drop my disabled husband as close to the department he needed as possible, I then drove around the car parks for over an hour trying to find somewhere to park – utter mayhem!” - Story shared with Healthwatch England

People weren’t given clear information on how to access free hospital parking, such as for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Some hospitals had dedicated spaces for these appointments, but appointment letters didn’t explain how to find them.

Disabled people also found registering for free parking confusing. In some hospitals they needed to scan their Blue Badge to get free parking, but there was no information about how to do so.

Do people have problems with paying for parking?

The DHSC guidance on hospital parking includes guidance on managing payment, including:

• Charges being “reasonable for the area”
• Concessions for certain visitors
• Considering installing payment on exit schemes so that people only pay for time used
• Widely publicising details of charges and concessions, including on appointment letters, on car park signs, inside the hospital and at payment places

The guidance also reminds Trusts that they are responsible for private contractors who manage parking. 

People felt charges were unfair, particularly if they had to make frequent trips to hospital. In particular, Healthwatch England heard about problems with upfront payment. People had to guess how long they would need, resulting in either overpaying or not paying enough. 

“I need to have regular blood tests and check ups. I am grateful to the NHS for taking care of me but each hospital appointment is a parking charge of £4. It really adds up and feels unfair." - Story shared with Healthwatch England

Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems and payment on exit can ensure people pay the right amount. However, long queues for payment machines and having to circle car parks to find a space meant people paid more than expected.

“We were in and out of the hospital in under an hour so parking should have been £2.20. Due to the length of the queue at the machines, I had to pay £3.80.” - Story shared with Healthwatch England

People also shared issues with pay and display machines or parking apps not working, insufficient machines, lack of clear signage or information about where to pay or not having the right payment method, with problems leading to people being fined for breaching parking rules:

“I allowed plenty of time…but spent over 30 minutes driving round and round. Eventually parked on a hatched area which wasn’t a designated parking spot as I was going to be late for my appointment. On leaving and paying £7 to park for an hour I got a parking ticket (£25).” - Story shared with Healthwatch England