Patients, visitors and staff have paid more than £8 million in car park fees at Watford General Hospital in just over five years.

But the trust said the hospital makes no profit as all the money is reinvested in maintenance.

The figure, which covers April 2017 to October 11 this year, was confirmed after a Freedom of Information request to West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

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The trust said for five full years the cost of running the car park was £9,122,000, but over the same period there was a loss of £2,082,000.

Peter Granger, 57, who has lived in Harwoods Road near the hospital for 20 years, said: “If you are a patient or a visitor it seems cruel to have to pay to park.

“But it’s the staff fee that sticks for me. Paying to work does not seem quite right.”

Figures showed, staff have paid £2,426,000 while patients and visitors shelled out £5,610,000.

From April to October this year, after the new multistorey car park was unveiled, £119,000 was paid in total.

Watford Observer: The new multistorey car park has made £119,000 from April 2022 to October 11.The new multistorey car park has made £119,000 from April 2022 to October 11.

Mr Granger, a counsellor, said he used to struggle to park on his road when he got home around 10pm after work. It is a controlled parking zone between Monday to Saturday 8am to 6.30pm.

He said: “I wonder if it is people avoiding the hospital parking fees.

“I wouldn’t hand on heart say the parking issue on my road was all because of the hospital, but it’s a strange coincidence.”

A trust spokesperson confirmed it does not make a profit from the fees and all funds cover the cost of providing parking facilities, such as the staff who manage the parking spaces.

They added: “Any income from parking also covers the maintenance of our car parks that is, lighting, land and other overheads.”

They added there are concessions for people who visit the hospital frequently or are long-term patients.

The hospital did not charge visitors during 2020/2021 during the height of the pandemic and staff did not have to pay from 2020 to May 2022.  

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