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The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Ipswich and Colchester hospitals, collected £3.5 million in parking charges in 2023-24, with more than half a million pounds coming from staff just months before increasing their parking fees by up to 226%.
Why it matters: The figures come two months after the hospital trust controversially implemented significant parking fee increases at both Ipswich Hospital and Colchester Hospital, affecting thousands of staff, patients and visitors.
Lowly-paid Band 2 staff saw increases of up to 226%
While higher-paid consultants saw their prices increase by just 2.9%
By the numbers: The trust generated a total of £3.5m parking revenue in 2023-24:
£2.9m from patients and visitors
£565,000 from staff parking
They spent £730,000 running the parking services, netting £2.7m profit
What they're saying: GMB Union said: "Health workers are on their knees – they need help and support. Charging them to park is kicking them while they are down," says Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary."
Patricia Marquis, Royal College of Nurses executive director for England, says nursing staff "shouldn't be forced to spend a significant portion of their wages just to park at work,"
The other side: NHS England says revenue from parking is reinvested into trust services. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson says while trusts are responsible for their own parking charges, "any charges must be reasonable and in line with the local area."
The bottom line: While ESNEFT maintains parking charges help fund hospital improvements and promote alternative transport options, the increases have sparked criticism from unions and come during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis affecting many families.
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