Car park charges for visitors and patients across two Black Country NHS Trusts will be going up this month (July) while improvements will continue to be made to the busy sites affected.

The increase will come into force today (Tuesday 1 July) at Wolverhampton’s New Cross and Cannock Chase Hospitals, and from Monday 21 July at Walsall Manor Hospital. The additional money raised will be put back into The Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trusts.

Fees are still being waived for anyone using the car parks for 15 minutes or less. Charges for the first hour up to four hours will cost an extra 20 pence an hour, an extra 50 pence an hour for four to five hours and five to seven hours will see an extra £1 increase. A £10 tariff will apply to those using the car parks for eight to 24 hours. Disabled parking will remain free of charge and concessionary passes are still being made available for patients undergoing regular treatment such as chemotherapy.

Number plate recognition (ANPR) is used across both Trusts. Charges were last increased more than a year ago.

Will Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We appreciate any increase is going to affect people using our services and we have avoided doing this for as long as possible.

“But we do have to introduce these slight increases in line with other costs that are rising that the Trust has to meet. We are still offering free parking for people with disabilities and concessions for patients who require lengthy or regular courses of treatment as well as parents whose babies are being cared for on our Neonatal Unit.

“The income raised goes back into the Trust and, acting on feedback, we are improving our car parks by looking at how we can offer app payment for example.

“Our teams also offer many more phone and video consultations, where appropriate, so fewer patients are having to travel and incur charges. This is also having an effect on our clinics meaning those for whom a face to face appointment is necessary are having shorter waits and report a more efficient service.”

The new charges are as follows: