A union boss has hit out at NHS trusts for “kicking their staff while they are down” by charging them for parking.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) pocketed more than £1m last year from staff parking, the most of any London trust.
The latest data released by NHS Digital shows that health workers across the capital forked out more than £7.5m over the same period.
Rachel Harrison, GMB union national secretary, has now called on NHS employers “to do the right thing and scrap staff car parking charges”.
She said: "NHS workers have suffered rocketing workloads, chronic understaffing and the fallout from a global pandemic. Health workers are on their knees – they need help and support.
“Charging them to park is kicking them while they are down.”
BHRUT, which runs King George Hospital in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford, also earned almost £1.9m from patient and visitor parking in 2023/24.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “We must spend taxpayers’ money wisely and we can’t afford to provide free car parking or cover the costs of staff who use public transport to get to work.
“Income we receive from our car parks is spent on improving services for patients.
"Staff who are eligible for parking permits pay reduced rates, with lower-paid staff paying the least.”
