Patients slam price of hour's parking at Hartlepool and North Tees hospital trust

A study by the Press Association showed that a 60-minute stay at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust costs £4 – with one in three hospitals in England increasing the cost of its parking in 2018.

As the figures were released, members of the Hartlepool community called for a change to the parking scheme at both sites, with some arguing that all hospital parking should be free.

A spokesperson for the Trust said parking charges are fed back into frontline services.

Here is how you reacted on the Hartlepool Mail Facebook page:

Margaret Irish: “When my husband was seriously ill the nurses and consultants were amazing but we paid over £200 in parking fees.”

Gillian Boreland: “There should be a charge for one-hour visits not 20 minutes free then have to pay £4 for four hours. Now that’s disgusting.”

Sarah Louise Bright: “All on bus routes. It would take me an hour to get there in bad weather if the buses are on time and cost nearly the same in bus fare so screwed either way.”

Angela Holroyd: “This is the problem, the hospital in Hartlepool isn’t used to its full extent and maybe if parking was free for all staff and we saw the money being ploughed into the hospital, we would feel much better.”

Alan Smith: “The article does say the parking charges are fed back into frontline services and maintenance. It also points out the £7 ticket for seven days is available for people needing to return across several days.”

Jon Whitfield: “What about if each ward installed a payment machine at the exit and you had to pay for treatment received. I’m sure that would change their attitude towards paying a few pounds to park their car.”

Katharine Anne Craggs: “All hospital parking should be free.”

Angela Horton Herring: “This is an absolute disgrace, in a town which is classed as ‘depressed’ why we have to pay so much to visit a hospital for one reason or another is abhorrent.”