Derby Hospitals to re-introduce staff parking challenges due to "a challenging financial landscape"

A Derby hospital trust is to reintroduce staff parking charges due to a “challenging financial landscape”

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees Royal Derby Hospital, will start charging staff to park again from August.

However, the lowest-paid staff would be exempt from the charges, while “those who earn more will pay more”, the trust says.

This comes five years after charges were scrapped during the pandemic, with central Government covering the cost for the first two years.

The trust, which has an annual budget of £1.2 billion, has paid for free parking for staff for three years, at a cost of around £1 million a year, it says.

This cost amounts to around 0.08% of the trust’s annual budget.

Freedom of Information data released earlier this year showed that between 2021 and 2025 the trust made £12.4 million through parking charges, averaging £3.1 million a year – the second highest of all NHS trusts.

Stephen Posey, the trust’s chief executive, detailed in a board report: “We have taken the very difficult decision to reintroduce parking charges for colleagues with parking permits.

“We have covered these costs on behalf of staff for as long as possible, and understand we are one of the last acute trusts in the country to reintroduce the charges.

“While staff charges were previously frozen by the government during the pandemic, most trusts immediately reintroduced charges three years ago when the government funding stopped.

“As a large trust with over 14,500 staff, staff car parking costs over £1 million every year and in response to the challenging financial landscape facing the NHS and public sector, we need to make difficult decisions to ensure we spend our money responsibly and prioritise patient care. 

“We are reintroducing charges in a way that tries to be equitable – so our lowest paid colleagues will not be charged, and those who earn more will pay more on a scale system. Some colleagues will be paying less than they did before the charges were paused in the pandemic, and our reinstated charges will remain lower than those at a number of other local trusts.

“However, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly, and we want to proactively respond to the feedback staff are sharing on this ahead of the planned reintroduction coming into place in August.”

A spokesperson for the trade union UNISON, which represents staff at the hospital trust, said: “UNISON opposes the introduction of car parking charges for NHS staff at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. 

“Health workers should not have to pay to park while working, free parking is a small but important way to recognise the vital work of NHS staff.

“Many NHS staff live far away from the hospital, so cannot easily use public transport. 

“We are also very concerned that the car parking contract may be handed to a private company, and experience shows they introduce huge charges to make profits. 

“Alternative parking for staff is difficult and it will impact staff financially. 

“We once again ask the trust to reconsider the plan to introduce charges.”

Parking at Royal Derby Hospital, unless you have a blue badge, is currently restricted to a maximum of 90 minutes while construction of its £16.8 million 874-space multi-storey car park – creating 500 additional spaces – continues.

The charge for parking on site for up to 90 minutes is £3, while exceeding 90 minutes costs £25 and losing your ticket costs £25. 

A free park and ride shuttle bus service is currently operating during construction from Kingsway Boulevard, just off the Kingsway Island opposite the Tilia housing development.