What are people telling us about car parking at hospitals?
Research by Transport Focus, the consumer champion for transport, found that half of people who have attend hospital in the last 12 months travelled by car. This means they need adequate hospital car parking facilities.
The Government publishes guidance for hospital Trusts on car parking facilities. This covers the groups of people entitled to free parking, and includes information about hospital parking charges, concessions, and information on parking terms and conditions.
Who is eligible for free hospital parking?
Some groups of people are entitled to park in hospital car parks for free, including:
- Blue Badge holders
- Frequent outpatient attendees
- Parents of sick children staying overnight (between certain times)
- Staff working night shifts (between certain times)
Why aren't alternatives to driving always an option?
Department for Transport figures from 2019 show it is a lot quicker to travel to hospital by car than public transport. The average minimum travel time to the nearest hospital was 20 minutes by car, compared to 41 minutes by public transport or walking.
Research by Healthwatch Southampton highlighted reliability, frequency and complexity of bus routes to hospital as reasons people opt to drive:
“If I rely on public transport, the routes are not always direct, and transfers can take up a lot of time and add uncertainty to the journey”.
Story shared with Healthwatch Southampton
What problems does insufficient hospital parking cause?
We heard from people who had to arrive two or three hours early or spend a lot of time driving around the car park to find a free space, or they risked missing their appointment:
“I...drove around and around for 45 minutes until a space came free...I met an elderly couple in the hospital who had turned up at 9am for an 11.30 appointment because they had missed a previous appointment due to not finding a parking space.”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
People described cars being parked where they shouldn’t, such as verges, yellow lines or drop-off spaces. Others parked in nearby streets. This led to stress, frustration, and even a feeling that they should avoid going to hospital at all. A woman whose problems during pregnancy meant she had to attend frequent hospital appointments said:
“Parking at hospital is extremely challenging, with long queues to enter, a one-way system that slows traffic, and very tight spaces. I often have to allow an extra 30 minutes just to park...the journey often requires family members to take time off work to drive me while I have been unwell.”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
These issues can lead to people being fined for breaching parking rules:
“I allowed plenty of time...but spent over 30 minutes driving round and round. Eventually parked on a hatched area which wasn’t a designated parking spot as I was going to be late for my appointment. On leaving and paying £7 to park for an hour I got a parking ticket (£25).”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
What happens when disabled people can't access hospital parking?
Despite disabled people who qualify for a Blue Badge being entitled to free hospital parking under DHSC guidance, they still experienced problems.
Some people told us that there weren’t enough disabled parking spaces. This meant they had to spend time circling the car park, use a normal parking space which wasn’t large enough, or have to park off site. Disabled people whose carer drove them to hospital had to attend their appointment alone while their carer tried to park:
“I had to drop my disabled husband as close to the department he needed as possible, I then drove around the car parks for over an hour trying to find somewhere to park – utter mayhem!”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
People weren’t given clear information on how to access free hospital parking, such as for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Some hospitals had dedicated spaces for these appointments, but appointment letters didn’t explain how to find them.
Disabled people also found registering for free parking confusing. In some hospitals they needed to scan their Blue Badge to get free parking, but there was no information about how to do so.
Do people have problems with paying for parking?
The DHSC guidance on hospital parking includes guidance on managing payment, including:
- Charges being “reasonable for the area”
- Concessions for certain visitors
- Considering installing payment on exit schemes so that people only pay for time used
- Widely publicising details of charges and concessions, including on appointment letters, on car park signs, inside the hospital and at payment places
The guidance also reminds Trusts that they are responsible for private contractors who manage parking.
People felt charges were unfair, particularly if they had to make frequent trips to hospital. In particular, we heard about problems with upfront payment. People had to guess how long they would need, resulting in either overpaying or not paying enough.
“I need to have regular blood tests and check ups. I am grateful to the NHS for taking care of me but each hospital appointment is a parking charge of £4. It really adds up and feels unfair.”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems and payment on exit can ensure people pay the right amount. However, long queues for payment machines and having to circle car parks to find a space meant people paid more than expected.
“We were in and out of the hospital in under an hour so parking should have been £2.20. Due to the length of the queue at the machines, I had to pay £3.80.”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
We also heard about pay and display machines or parking apps not working, insufficient machines, lack of clear signage or information about where to pay or not having the right payment method. These issues can lead to people being fined for breaching parking rules:
“I allowed plenty of time…but spent over 30 minutes driving round and round. Eventually parked on a hatched area which wasn’t a designated parking spot as I was going to be late for my appointment. On leaving and paying £7 to park for an hour I got a parking ticket (£25).”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
What works when it comes to hospital parking?
While we heard a lot of negative experiences, we also heard positive experiences of parking at hospitals. Our 2024 research on community diagnostic hubs found people appreciated free parking at some sites or help to get free parking permits.
People also told us that efficient park and ride schemes enable them to drive partway and transfer to a bus for the final leg of their journey. We also heard about free or low-cost shuttle bus services that some NHS Trusts used to get people to hospital:
“[There is] a very efficient park-and-ride service which leaves every 15 minutes at busy periods and every 20 minutes after that. Staff and volunteers have free travel and patients pay £2 for a return ticket. As the minimum parking fee at the hospital is £4, it’s great value.”
Story shared with Healthwatch England
What do we recommend to help fix issues with parking?
Too often car parking adds avoidable stress to people's hospital experience. Our analysis shows that, while DHSC guidance sets out clear expectations, the reality often falls short. The issues in this blog create challenges that can affect whether people attend appointments on time – or at all.
We recommend that:
1. Trusts should treat parking and travel as part of access to care
NHS Trusts should review whether it’s feasible for patients and carers to get to appointments, either by car or public transport. There should be clear drop-off points and accessible routes from car parks to entrances. Parking and transport should be considered in estate planning and patient experience work, not just as a facilities issue.
2. Trusts should make hospital parking more accessible for disabled people and carers
Trusts should assess whether they have enough Blue Badge spaces, whether they are close enough to entrances and departments, and whether people can register for free parking easily. They should also make sure disabled people are not left without support because carers have to search for a parking space.
3. People should get clear information about parking before they travel
Appointment letters, Trust websites and digital messages should clearly explain parking locations, charges and payment methods, as well as what to do if appointments overrun. Clear information would help reduce confusion, missed appointments and distress.
4. Payment systems and enforcement should be fair, simple and accountable
Trusts should move towards pay-on-exit systems where possible so people don't have to guess how long they will need to park for. Payment machines and apps should be accessible and offer realistic options for people who cannot use smartphones or need to pay by cash or card. Where private companies manage parking, Trusts should remain accountable for clear signage, fair appeals and the reasonable treatment of patients and carers.
