Why it matters: The change comes as new NHS England data shows the trust received around £4.4 million from parking charges across its various sites in the year to March 2025, representing a 25% increase from £3.5 million the previous year.
The details: The trust has not yet announced which company will replace Parking Eye, whose contract is ending after managing the car park. A statement from the trust said: "A new car parking provider is taking over management of ESNEFT's car parking services from Tuesday, October 21, when our existing contract with Parking Eye, the current provider, comes to an end."
By the numbers: The £4.4 million parking income was made up of £3.9 million from charging patients and visitors, and £419,000 from staff. Managing parking costs the trust a total of £813,000, giving it a net income of £3.5 million.
The bigger picture: Across England, NHS trusts received £271 million from parking charges in 2024-25, a 12% increase on the previous year. Nationally, the NHS spent £84 million administering parking, giving it a total net income of £187 million.
What they're saying: Sharon Wilde, national officer at the GMB union, said: "When the charges have risen faster than the cost of maintaining the car parks, it looks like the worst kind of profiteering. Health workers deal with punishing workloads and chronic understaffing – they need help and support. Paying to park while performing vital, lifesaving work feels like the ultimate kick in the teeth."
Brian Morton, associate director for employment relations at the Royal College of Nursing, said: "For nursing staff, the cost of parking takes too much of their pay. Staff are having to pay to park at work and can even be hit with fines when they stay late caring for their patients. This simply cannot be right."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said local trusts are responsible for car parking space numbers, rates for parking and charging methods, but all parking charges should be "reasonable for the local area."
For context: East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust runs Colchester Hospital in Colchester and Ipswich Hospital in Ipswich, as well as several smaller community hospitals in the surrounding area.
The bottom line: The change in car park management comes at a time when the trust's parking profits have jumped 25% in a year, prompting unions to accuse NHS trusts of profiteering from staff and patients.
