Residents call out 'uneven' hike to Colchester Hospital staff parking

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

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

While for staff, the previous graduated daily parking charges – for the whole day – will now be set in broad bands.

This means the most junior band 2 will now pay £1.50, up from £0.46, and so will other staff up to band 4, who were previously on £0.55 a day.

Meanwhile, band 5 to band 7, which includes junior doctors will be on £2 a day.

Change - Colchester Hospital's visitor car park in February (Image: Newsquest) Pharmacy Technician Andy Glanville said: “My staff car park increase went up 13 per cent.

“Shame they couldn’t have just increased it at the same rate as our pay rise, 5.5 per cent."

He added: “Park and ride isn’t the answer and they they’re obsessed with trying to force people into it.”

Meanwhile Mark Chapman said: “Would love for them to explain why staff car parking charges will rise so unevenly.

“Band 2 charges will increase by 226 per cent, Band 5 by 198.5 per cent, Band 9 by 14.7 per cent and consultants by 2.9 per cent."

The trust received a gross income of £2,525,138 from patients or relatives paying to park at its hospitals between 2022 and 2023 – with staff generating £120,595 in the same time period.

Resident Tina Brice said she can “never find a parking space” and once after driving around for forty minutes while looking for a space was charged for driving around the car park.

Ian Cowie added: “It's disgusting charging people for needing medical attention or for visiting ill and dying people in hospital.

“I'm originally from Aberdeen where there is no charging hospital parking. They have also built a massive multi-story car park as the original one just couldn't cope.

“The sort of thing that Colchester needs as the parking at the hospital is totally inadequate for the amount of people using it.

Anna Zilpah, said car parking is free in Wales, adding that it should be free across the whole of the UK.

Resident Susan Banks added: “I don't think any staff should have to pay to park at their place of work and especially the poor ones who work night shifts!

Packed - Colchester residents suggested that a bigger multistorey car park should be built, seen in February (Image: Newsquest) Rebel Deetz said that using the park and ride was “useless” for her due to it being at the other side of Colchester for her – meaning she would have to drive past the hospital to park there.

She added: “It's ridiculous to expect people with regular appointments who don't live near to a bus stop to pay through the nose considering its a small car park not even manned.

“It takes half an hour to find a space.

“Also why is this happening now just before Christmas?"

Bernice Bethards said staff should park for free, while Catharina Griffiths added: “Why do staff have to pay to park?

“They look after us, it’s totally out of order

Liz Richfield added: “It’s a disgrace that the lower paid staff are facing such a high increase.

“They need to stop contractors parking in the main carpark and get rid of the free 30 mins what use is that to anyone with an appointment or visiting a sick relative - people just use it to go to the post office, costa or M&S.

“Just wait till they privatize the support services it will be more expensive and the services will drop.

While Lee Simon Chamberlain added: “Staff should not be paying to park end of.

“The hospital rely on their staff to provide the service.”