Car park price hike at Calderdale Royal hospital

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) has drawn up new parking charges which are expected to raise £270,000 a year.

Parking for up to two hours for patients and visitors will increase from £2.50 to £2.80 under changes the trust board was asked to approve yesterday.

The other patient and visitor charges will remain the same at £5 for up to four hours, £6 for up to six hours and £7 for up to 24 hours.

For staff, a new charging system based on salaries is being brought in to replace the current £22 a month for full-time staff and £11 for part-time workers.

Charges will decrease for people earning up to £17,978 and parking costs will stay the same for people paid between £17,979-£19,655.

The monthly cost will rise to up to £28 for people on higher salaries, and special “priority parking” will cost £32 a month.

Part-time staff will continue to pay less.

A report to yesterday’s meeting said: “If both increases are implemented on June 1 the total increase in income will be £224,347 in 2016-17 and £269,216 on an annual basis.”

Lesley Hill, CHFT’s director of planning, estates and facilities said: “As a large employer we have to balance the needs of employees with those of our patients and the local community.

“All the income we receive from parking goes in to providing patient care.

“The proposed changes would mean a small increase for members of the public who park for less than two hours and would bring us in line with neighbouring trusts.

“For our staff, the changes will mean a decrease in the cost of parking for many of our colleagues who are on the lower salary scales.”