DISABILITY campaigners are calling for an end to hospital parking fees after the Royal Surrey County Hospital was named the highest charging NHS trust in England.

Since autumn 2016, the minimum charge for using the Guildford hospital’s car park has been £4 for up to two hours.

Last October, a flat rate of £4 per visit was introduced for all Blue Badge holders, unless they are “in receipt of certain benefits or of low income”.

Around two-thirds of 111 NHS trusts responded to a freedom of information request by the Press Association for details of their parking income and parking charges for 2016/17.

The figures obtained, also revealed NHS hospitals in England made a record £174million from charging patients, visitors and staff to park, which is up six per cent on the previous year.

Many trusts are now making more than a £1million a year from parking, while more than half charge disabled people to park.

Another Surrey hospital run by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, was revealed to be raking in the second highest income from parking, raising almost £4million, including £1.5million from staff.

The trust with the highest parking income was Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which made over £4.8million across the year.

South West Surrey Disabled Alliance Network (SWSDAN) and Surrey Coalition of Disabled People is calling for an end to car parking charges at hospitals following the revelations.

Writing in this week’s Herald Letters page, SWSDAN chairman David Beaman said: “It is iniquitous there is free car parking at most hospitals in Scotland and Wales, both of which continue to receive substantial grant funding from Central Government, yet in England, cuts in Central Government grants are one of the main reasons that disabled people are now facing having to pay car parking charges at hospitals as well as in local authority car parks such as Waverley.

“Along with changes in general welfare benefit payments these additional car parking charges are placing an increasing and unfair burden on disabled people.

“The facts revealed show there is no financial need to charge holders of blue badges for car parking at hospitals and it is questionable as to for what purpose the additional revenue will be used.

“It would be morally wrong if this additional revenue is being used to fund parts of NHS health provision that should more rightly be funded by central government.”

Defending the Royal Surrey’s charges, the trust said it was working with blue badge holders to ensure those in receipt of certain benefits or of low income would still be able to park free.

The trust owns its car parks and they are managed on its behalf by a private contractor, which provides the attendants and collects the income.

Trust director of human resources and business support, Alf Turner, said: “In an ideal world we would not have to charge anyone for car parking, however the Royal Surrey, like all NHS hospitals, is faced with having to make difficult decisions at a time when budgets are under pressure and demand is increasing.

“The revenue from car parking is used to provide and maintain our car parks and any additional income is put back into patient care.”