NEW patient parking charges have been introduced at Halton and Warrington hospitals.

The new fees start tomorrow, Wednesday, and follow partnership changes with operator Highview Parking to give the hospitals ‘greater control’ over the car parks.

While the first 30 minutes of parking remains free, a stay of up to two hours will cost £2.50, up to four hours £3.50, up to six hours £5 and up to 24 hours £6.

Previously patients and visitors paid £3 for up to five hours and £5 for up to 24 hours.

Change machines have also been installed for visitors to pay on the way out.

Payment by phone is also available.

Passes for stays of more than 24 hours are available from Warrington Hospital’s cash office.

Saver passes designed for patients having courses of treatment and their visitors are £10 a week or £30 a month.

Free parking is now available for unpaid carers supporting patients in hospital.

New concessions have been introduced for people visiting patients who are receiving end-of-life care.

The hospital is moving to a ‘managed service relationship’ with Highview Parking to ‘exercise greater control over its own car parks’ and the levying of penalty charge notices.

Sharon Gilligan, chief operating officer at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said “We know how stressful a visit to hospital is without the added complication of parking.

“There has been historic abuse of the car parking system which has seen valuable patient spaces blocked or misused.

“Under the new arrangements we hope that we can reduce congestion by discouraging these thoughtless or repeat offenders from the site.”

Ms Gilligan added that the trust had moved to a managed service relationship with Highview Parking so it is able to exercise greater control over its own car parks as well as the levying of penalty charge notices.

She said: “If a driver does receive a penalty charge notice following a visit to either of our sites then they must have left without paying for parking, parked in a disabled bay without a permit or parked causing an obstruction to other users.”

A further 568 spaces have been leased offsite at Warrington to free up additional visitor slots.