Thousands collected in West Midlands hospital parking fines
West Midlands hospitals have collected thousands of pounds from parking fines in the last financial year, new figures reveal.
The fines were today described as a 'hidden tax' and dubbed 'disgraceful' and 'immoral' by politicians in the West Midlands.
Motorists who failed to pay and display or who overstayed on their tickets or obstructed emergency access have been hit in the pocket, latest figures show.
Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East Said: "This is a hidden tax by any other name and is causing distress and alarm to a lot of people in my constituency and across the Black Country as a whole."
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, show that Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust collected the largest amount of revenue in the Black Country from parking enforcement, through private firm APCOA, taking £8,783 in the 2012/2013 financial year.
Maxine Bygrave, chairman of Wolverhampton patient support group, Healthwatch said although she didn't agree with the charges for parking she understood they were necessary and discouraged people blocking access to emergency vehicles.
Pete Gibbons, Head of Commercial Services at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: "Car parking fines are only issued when absolutely necessary and are about trying to make motorists park in the correct place, not about making money.
"Warnings are issued for first offences and an appeals process is in place."
During the same period between April 2012 and March 2013, Walsall NHS Healthcare Trust, which runs Manor Hospital, made £4,170 in fines from motorists.
Walsall Councillor and member of Walsall Health and Well Being Board, Pete Smith, said the fines were 'disgraceful'.
Fines of £2,072.22 were collected at hospitals in Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust did not hold information on revenue from fines, as it is managed by its private finance initiative partner, Summit Healthcare (Dudley) Ltd, who sub-contracted the trust's parking enforcement to Legion, but said that all financial gains from fines were distributed on an annual basis to charities.
Dudley Councillor Brian Cotterill said: "What we've got is a multi-million pound business that's making money from the sick. I find the whole thing very immoral."
