The NHS trust responsible for providing care in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and Salford has raked in almost £1.6 million in income from charging patients, visitors and staff to use its car parks last year.

The Northern Care Alliance (NCA) Foundation NHS Trust, which runs Royal Oldham Hospital, Salford Royal, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury and Rochdale Infirmary, generated income topping more than £1.5 million in parking fees throughout 2023.

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The latest NHS England figures show the Trust made £1,571,194 in car parking charges throughout the year, with £1,487,180 earned from patients and visitors and a further £84,024 from staff.

This was up from the £1.2 million earned the year before and places the NCA as one of the top five highest earners of car parking charges compared to other NHS trusts in the north west.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust made the most in car parking fees last year, accumulating a total of £3.48m - with more than £2.1m from patients and visitors and more than £1.3m from staff.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust followed closely behind with £3.35m made in car parking fees with £1.6m earned from patients/visitors and £1.7m from staff.

In third place, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust made £2.43m with £1.9m made from patients and visitors, though a comparatively modest £520k from staff. 

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust only marginally made more than the NCA, taking in £1.87m made up of £992k from patients and £884k from staff.

In comparison with other trusts in the region, Stockport NHS Trust made £1.33m in car parking income overall while Bolton NHS Trust earned £1.29m.

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation also made £382k in car parking income and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust made £296k.

The data comes as Royal Oldham nurses claimed they suddenly faced hefty £70 fines to use the hospital's car park towards the end of last year.

Staff told The Oldham Times that they struggled to obtain a staff permit from the Northern Care Alliance Foundation NHS Trust as it had "met its quota".

A nurse said: "I don't know where they expect us to park and I don't think we should be penalised for going to work.

"I can't afford to pay parking tickets and neither can my colleagues."

Another community nurse at the hospital also said he was unable to get a permit, despite carrying drugs and confidential documents from the hospital to his community destinations.

Nurses then launched a nationwide petition, calling on hospital managers, local authorities and the Government to grant free car park access within hospital grounds for staff.

The GMB union is now backing those calls with Rachel Harrison, GMB national officer, saying NHS workers have been "hammered by pay cuts, the pandemic and chronic understaffing".

Ms Harrison called on ministers to enforce a blanket ban on NHS staff parking charges.

She added: "Of course trusts are short of cash after years of underfunding - but the money they claw back from charging staff to park is a drop in the ocean, while it can mean the difference between getting by and going under for hard-pressed staff."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said parking charges are needed to help manage capacity at NHS sites, and the fees charged must not be "significantly more than other hospitals in the local area".

The spokesperson continued: "We will always support hardworking NHS staff and we have delivered on the commitment to provide free hospital car parking in England for those most in need.

"Since 2022, all trusts have made hospital car parking free for blue badge holders, parents of very sick children, frequent attenders and NHS staff on night shifts, and this the first time that NHS hospital car parking has been free nationally across England for these groups."

The Northern Care Alliance was approached for comment but declined the opportunity.

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