Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group to hike up car park prices in Grantham, Boston and Lincoln

Patients and visitors will be asked to fork out more for parking at a trio of hospitals — with some fees set to more than double.

Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group has announced an increase to car parking charges for patients and visitors to Grantham, Boston and Lincoln hospitals.

While a half-hour visit will still be free, the ‘up to one hour’ charge will jump from £1 to £2. The price for ‘up to four hours’ is set to jump from £2 to £5.

Bosses insist they increases have been kept to a minimum and say they are part of a series of changes to improve car parking for patients and visitors —although readers regularly raise this as an issue.

They say the improvements have made more spaces available — and argue that they have ‘reduced some of the stress’ people have coming to hospitals by doing this.

Bosses also promises that more improvements and repairs will be made in the coming months.

Mike Parkhill, group chief estates and facilities officer, said: “Parking charges were reduced at the hospitals in 2020 and these prices have remained in place for the last five years.

“We continue to have concessions in place for many patients and this has not changed. This includes those with a blue badge, those patients undergoing cancer treatment and parents/guardians staying with children who are admitted to one of our wards.

“For further information about our concessions we advise patients to talk to the ward or department that is caring for them.

“We are also continuing to offer the first 30 minutes for free for all patients and visitors to our hospitals.”

The changes will come into effect from Tuesday July 1.

The new Lincolnshire hospitals parking charges in full:

Up to 30 mins: free (same as before)

Up to one hour: £2 (was £1)

Up to two hours: £3 (was £2)

Up to three hours: £4 (was £2)

Up to four hours: £5 (was £2)

Longer than four hours: £6 (was £5)

Motorcycle parking: free (Same as before)

Blue Badge holders: free (Same as before)

What do you think? Are patients being ripped off? Let us know your views in the comments below…