Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of abolishing parking fees for staff at NHS hospitals.

The level and appropriateness of car parking charges at National Health Service sites for staff is the responsibility of the local NHS trust. We have published the NHS Car Parking Principles which clearly state that concessions should be offered to groups who most need help, such as staff who cannot travel by public transport due to their shift pattern.

However, given it is the responsibility of the local NHS trust, the Department has no jurisdiction to reduce or eliminate hospital car parking charges for nurses, doctors and essential healthcare workers.