PATIENTS and visitors at Colchester Hospital are facing a major hike in parking charges.

Colchester Hospital, which is run by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust, is increasing the amount it charges from November 11.

Hospital staff will also be hit by the rise.

For visitors, it will cost £3 for up to one hour - up from £2.20, an increase of more than a third

A stay of up to two hours will rise from £3.30 to £4, four hours will rise from £4.50 to £5, five hours will increase from £5.50 to £7, and up to eight hours will cost £10 - up from £6.50

Three-day tickets will rise from £8 to £12, five-day tickets are up from £12 to £16, and weekly tickets will cost £20 - up from £14. 

Stays of up to 30 minutes and up to an hour at the primary care centre in Colchester for drop-offs or short stays will remain free. 

Packed - Colchester Hospital car park as seen in FebruaryPacked - Colchester Hospital car park as seen in February (Image: Newsquest)Staff members at the trust will also see the cost of parking rise from November 11.  

Colchester resident Tracey Crowley said: “This is terrible. People who go A&E don’t know how long they are going to be there and could end up paying £10 just to find out what’s wrong with them. 

“Hospital parking should have reduced rates for patients - it’s so unfair."

Alternative - Nick Hulme Chief Executive of ESNEFT is encouraging staff and patients to use its Park and Ride Alternative - Trust chief exec Nick Hulme is encouraging staff and patients at Colchester Hospital to use park and ride (Image: Warren Page/Pagepix) Hospital trust chief exec Nick Hulme said the Dame Clare Marx Building at Colchester and the new urgent and emergency care centre at Ipswich Hospital will “significantly improve healthcare”, but also reduce the number of parking spaces.

He said: “We also know that because of the increased demand for our services, car parking has become extremely limited and at peak times it is unlikely that you will find a parking space, so the best alternative is to use local park and ride services if you can.

“We are committed to providing high quality care and experiences for our patients, carers and visitors. This includes doing all we can to improve travel to our sites.”

The park and ride bus service to Colchester Hospital costs £1.50.

The trust said the charges were made to be “consistent” with other hospitals

The trust received a gross income of £2,525,138 from patients or relatives paying to park at its hospitals between 2022 and 2023.