Portsmouth hospital's car parking revenue up by 270% according to report

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which operates Queen Alexandra Hospital, has seen its revenue from car parking charges at the Cosham site increase by £1,251,036 in the space of a year according to a report by a personal finance website The Grade. Revenue in 2021/2022 was listed as £463,032 while the 2022/2023 figures are quoted as £1,714,068.

Hospital bosses say the figure is largely as a result of the opening of a new multi-storey carpark at the hospital, and that the money is raised help to pay for vital services. Money raised through carparking charges at St Mary's Hospital are not included in the figure as it is operated by another health trust.

A spokesperson for The Grade said that the study showed just how much visitors were left out of pocket when they go to the hospital: “After a hiatus during the pandemic, parking charges are back with a vengeance. For many vulnerable individuals and their caregivers, these fees represent an unavoidable expense, effectively acting as a tax on both the sick and those who support them.”

But the huge increase in revenue compared to the tax year in 2021/22 has been labelled as incomparable by the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust which added that the money was invested back into the hospital.

A spokesperson said: “The money raised from parking charges is invested back into the hospital and free parking is available for certain patients, visitors, and carers including blue badge holders and those staying overnight with children. Visitors dropping off or collecting a patient are also entitled to 20 minutes free parking. In 2022, as part of our work to develop the QA Hospital site, we opened a new North multi-storey car park providing additional car parking spaces for patients and visitors. This alongside changes in in how we sub-contract the management of our car parks, contributes towards the difference in income.”

The full Hospital Parking Report can be found here.