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Car finance ›
Hospital Parking Index
Updated: Monday, 16 September 2024
Hospital visits are stressful enough without the added worry of expensive parking fees, especially for patients and their families making regular visits. While hospital parking charges vary widely across the UK, some offer free or relatively cheap parking, and others charge higher fees.
But which UK hospital car parks are the most expensive? The bad credit car finance experts at Moneybarn looked into the price of 2 hours of parking at 50 of the busiest hospitals around the country to reveal the most and least expensive ones to park at.
The UK’s most expensive hospitals to park at
1. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £7.00
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital ranks first with the highest parking fee of £7.00 for 2 hours. This hospital is located in one of the most affluent areas of London, and the parking cost may reflect its location and the demand for parking spaces in this part of the city.
2. Royal Free Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
Tied for second place, the Royal Free Hospital charges £6.40 for 2 hours of parking. Located in Hampstead in London, the Royal Free Hospital is a teaching hospital known for its specialist services and attracts many visitors.
2. St Thomas’ Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
In second place, St Thomas’ Hospital charges £6.40 for 2 hours of parking. This hospital is located near iconic London landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, and its prime location in Central London likely contributes to the parking fees, as space is at a premium in this area.
St Thomas’ Hospital is a major teaching hospital, and its location makes it an accessible healthcare provider for many Londoners and visitors alike.
2. Yeovil District Hospital, Yeovil, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
Yeovil District Hospital, located in Somerset, ties with 2 London hospitals for the second-highest parking fee at £6.40. Hospitals in smaller towns like Yeovil can still have high costs, possibly due to limited parking availability.
Which UK hospitals are free to park at?
In 2008, the Scottish Government abolished parking charges at most NHS-operated hospital car parks across Scotland, including 4 on our list: the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The Christie, located in Manchester, is a leading cancer treatment centre. The Christie’s policy of providing free parking is particularly significant, considering the frequency and duration of visits that many patients require.
The UK’s cheapest hospitals to park at
1. Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.00
Aside from hospitals with free parking, the cheapest to park at is Salford Royal Hospital, at £2 for 2 hours. Located in Greater Manchester, it serves a large urban population, with over a million people having access to its healthcare services.
2. Furness General Hospital, Barrow-in-Furness, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.50
Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, charges £2.50 for 2 hours of parking. The parking fee matches the broader trend of lower living costs in rural areas compared to cities. This pricing ensures that accessing healthcare remains affordable for the local community, which is particularly important in a region with fewer healthcare facilities.
2. Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.50
Tied with Furness General Hospital, Darent Valley Hospital also charges £2.50 for 2 hours of parking, making it the joint second cheapest hospital to park at. This hospital is in Dartford and serves the county of Kent.
The UK hospitals with the most parking spaces
We’ve also examined which hospitals in the UK have the most parking spaces in their public car parks. Please note that the figures are approximate and intended to provide a general sense of each hospital’s parking capacity.
1. Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, estimated spaces: 3,388
With 3,388 parking spaces, Manchester Royal Infirmary tops the list. Located in Manchester, this hospital is one of the largest in the UK, serving a wide area and with a high volume of patients, staff, and visitors, which is why it needs such a large parking facility.
2. Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, estimated spaces: 2,217
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge ranks second with 2,217 parking spaces. As a major teaching hospital and a vital part of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, it attracts many visitors daily, hence the need for extensive parking availability.
3. Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, estimated spaces: 1,709
In third place is Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, offering 1,709 parking spaces. This hospital is one of the largest in Scotland and a major teaching hospital with many patients, staff, and students, making its extensive parking facilities essential.
Methodology
The data in this study is accurate as of August 2024.
We looked at 50 major hospitals in the UK and calculated the cost of 2 hours of parking on a weekday (10:00am to 12:00pm on a Monday), not considering any potential discounts. We included only hospitals that offered public parking for at least 2 hours throughout the day.
The prices were sourced from the websites of every hospital and, in the case of privately run car parks, from the operator’s website.
The approximate number of parking spaces for each hospital was sourced from Parkopedia. Since some hospitals have more than 1 parking space, the approximate number of spaces was estimated by adding the number of spaces for each of the hospital’s car parks listed on Parkopedia.
The number of parking spaces wasn’t listed for any car parks at the following hospitals, so they were excluded from this section:
- Charing Cross Hospital
- Royal Free Hospital
- St Thomas’ Hospital
- Bristol Royal Infirmary
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- The Christie
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
A complete list of sources used for parking prices and the number of spaces can be viewed here. All prices were sourced on 23 August 2024.
The population served by the Northern Care Alliance was sourced from its website.
Hospital visits are stressful enough without the added worry of expensive parking fees, especially for patients and their families making regular visits. While hospital parking charges vary widely across the UK, some offer free or relatively cheap parking, and others charge higher fees.
But which UK hospital car parks are the most expensive? The bad credit car finance experts at Moneybarn looked into the price of 2 hours of parking at 50 of the busiest hospitals around the country to reveal the most and least expensive ones to park at.
The UK’s most expensive hospitals to park at
1. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £7.00
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital ranks first with the highest parking fee of £7.00 for 2 hours. This hospital is located in one of the most affluent areas of London, and the parking cost may reflect its location and the demand for parking spaces in this part of the city.
2. Royal Free Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
Tied for second place, the Royal Free Hospital charges £6.40 for 2 hours of parking. Located in Hampstead in London, the Royal Free Hospital is a teaching hospital known for its specialist services and attracts many visitors.
2. St Thomas’ Hospital, London, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
In second place, St Thomas’ Hospital charges £6.40 for 2 hours of parking. This hospital is located near iconic London landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, and its prime location in Central London likely contributes to the parking fees, as space is at a premium in this area.
St Thomas’ Hospital is a major teaching hospital, and its location makes it an accessible healthcare provider for many Londoners and visitors alike.
2. Yeovil District Hospital, Yeovil, cost of parking for 2 hours: £6.40
Yeovil District Hospital, located in Somerset, ties with 2 London hospitals for the second-highest parking fee at £6.40. Hospitals in smaller towns like Yeovil can still have high costs, possibly due to limited parking availability.
Which UK hospitals are free to park at?
In 2008, the Scottish Government abolished parking charges at most NHS-operated hospital car parks across Scotland, including 4 on our list: the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The Christie, located in Manchester, is a leading cancer treatment centre. The Christie’s policy of providing free parking is particularly significant, considering the frequency and duration of visits that many patients require.
The UK’s cheapest hospitals to park at
1. Salford Royal Hospital, Salford, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.00
Aside from hospitals with free parking, the cheapest to park at is Salford Royal Hospital, at £2 for 2 hours. Located in Greater Manchester, it serves a large urban population, with over a million people having access to its healthcare services.
2. Furness General Hospital, Barrow-in-Furness, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.50
Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, charges £2.50 for 2 hours of parking. The parking fee matches the broader trend of lower living costs in rural areas compared to cities. This pricing ensures that accessing healthcare remains affordable for the local community, which is particularly important in a region with fewer healthcare facilities.
2. Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, cost of parking for 2 hours: £2.50
Tied with Furness General Hospital, Darent Valley Hospital also charges £2.50 for 2 hours of parking, making it the joint second cheapest hospital to park at. This hospital is in Dartford and serves the county of Kent.
The UK hospitals with the most parking spaces
We’ve also examined which hospitals in the UK have the most parking spaces in their public car parks. Please note that the figures are approximate and intended to provide a general sense of each hospital’s parking capacity.
1. Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, estimated spaces: 3,388
With 3,388 parking spaces, Manchester Royal Infirmary tops the list. Located in Manchester, this hospital is one of the largest in the UK, serving a wide area and with a high volume of patients, staff, and visitors, which is why it needs such a large parking facility.
2. Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, estimated spaces: 2,217
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge ranks second with 2,217 parking spaces. As a major teaching hospital and a vital part of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, it attracts many visitors daily, hence the need for extensive parking availability.
3. Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, estimated spaces: 1,709
In third place is Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, offering 1,709 parking spaces. This hospital is one of the largest in Scotland and a major teaching hospital with many patients, staff, and students, making its extensive parking facilities essential.
Methodology
The data in this study is accurate as of August 2024.
We looked at 50 major hospitals in the UK and calculated the cost of 2 hours of parking on a weekday (10:00am to 12:00pm on a Monday), not considering any potential discounts. We included only hospitals that offered public parking for at least 2 hours throughout the day.
The prices were sourced from the websites of every hospital and, in the case of privately run car parks, from the operator’s website.
The approximate number of parking spaces for each hospital was sourced from Parkopedia. Since some hospitals have more than 1 parking space, the approximate number of spaces was estimated by adding the number of spaces for each of the hospital’s car parks listed on Parkopedia.
The number of parking spaces wasn’t listed for any car parks at the following hospitals, so they were excluded from this section:
- Charing Cross Hospital
- Royal Free Hospital
- St Thomas’ Hospital
- Bristol Royal Infirmary
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- The Christie
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
A complete list of sources used for parking prices and the number of spaces can be viewed here. All prices were sourced on 23 August 2024.
The population served by the Northern Care Alliance was sourced from its website.
For a better road ahead
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Moneybarn is the trading style of Moneybarn No. 1 Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 04496573, and Moneybarn Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 02766324. The registered address for these companies is: Athena House, Bedford Road, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3LJ.
Moneybarn’s VAT registration number is 180 5559 52.
Moneybarn Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702781)
Moneybarn No. 1 Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702780)
