Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust car parking revenue increased by 41 per cent in 2022/23 according to personal finance website The Grade

Data has shown that revenue from car parking charges at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust increased by 41 per cent last year.

Analysis from personal finance website The Grade found that revenue from parking at the trust – which includes the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading – increased by £294,054 from £715,038 in 2021/22 to £1,009,092 in 2022/23.

The website studied NHS estates reports, local hospital data and third-party parking providers to compile its report on hospital parking throughout the nation.

The Grade’s head of marketing Nick Barber said: “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.”

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is also ranked 18 in the most expensive hospitals in England for an 8-hour stay, charging £16.50.

Although part of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, West Berkshire Community Hospital is actually owned by Berkshire Healthcare Trust, meaning any car parking revenue from the West Berkshire hospital goes to the latter.

The Hampshire Hospitals Foundation Trust – which covers Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Andover War Memorial Hospital and Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital – recorded the same income of £1,826,514 from car parking charges in both 2021/22 and 2022/23.

The Grade’s full report on hospital parking throughout the nation can be read at https://www.thegrade.com/hospital-parking-report-2024