Basildon Hospital is set to boost its income by raising car parking charges by 10p to £1.

The increase - the first in three years - comes into force tomorrow and will be ploughed back into patient care.

Hospital chief executive, Sue Jennings, said: "We have held the parking fee at 90p for three years, while investing considerably in making the car parks more secure for visitors and expanding the provision at Basildon Hospital.

"The annual car parks income of around £270,000 is equivalent to the cost of running a ward for about four to five months, or of carrying out about 90 hip replacements.

"It represents a very valuable contribution towards the health care provided by Basildon and Orsett Hospitals."

The fee is flat rate but all senior ward sisters can issue passes for special cases, such as those needing to use the hospital on a frequent basis.

Basildon Hospital now has more than 2,000 car parking spaces, 37 of which are for disabled people.

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