Overview

This bill aims to abolish all car parking charges at NHS hospitals in England for patients, staff, and visitors. It mandates the Secretary of State to ensure that NHS trusts cease charging and prohibits future charges, with exceptions for pre-existing contracts.

Description

The Hospital Car Parking Charges (Abolition) Bill makes it the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that NHS hospitals in England do not charge for parking. This applies to spaces provided directly or indirectly by NHS trusts and other specified bodies.

Existing charges must be abolished within three months of the bill passing, except where contracts with third-party parking providers are already in place. In these cases, charges must stop when the contract ends or is next reviewed, whichever is sooner. The bill explicitly prevents future charges from being imposed. Importantly, the bill does not require hospitals to reduce the number of parking spaces available.

The Secretary of State must report to Parliament within 15 months on the implementation of the act, including the number of hospitals that have ceased charging and those still under contract to charge. The bill also defines key terms like "health care providers" and "NHS hospital" to clarify its scope.

Government Spending

The bill will likely lead to increased government spending to compensate NHS trusts for lost revenue from car parking charges. The exact cost is not specified in the bill but will depend on the current level of income generated from hospital parking across England.

Groups Affected

• Patients: Will benefit from free parking, reducing financial burdens associated with hospital visits.
• Staff: Will benefit from free parking, saving money on travel costs.
• Visitors: Will benefit from free parking, making it easier and cheaper to visit patients.
• NHS Trusts: Will experience a loss of revenue from car parking charges, requiring government funding to compensate.
• Private Parking Companies: May experience a loss of income if they manage parking at NHS hospitals under contract.

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