New reports have claimed that hospital staff who have returned to paying for parking have been dealt a new blow – a £90-a-year hike in charges.

According to The Mirror, an average NHS worker in England will pay around £1,000 to park at work after the charges returned this month.

In England, 72 trusts currently charge for parking – a decrease from 159 in 2019/20. In that time, income plunged from £90 million to £5.3 million. Average hourly rates rose from 19p an hour to 23p – an extra £90.34 for nurses on four 12-hour shifts.

Data indicates that Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust raised £904,000 from staff parking in one year – the most of any NHS trust.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Officer, said: “We think it’s an appalling decision. The timing of it is even more insulting, especially during the cost of living crisis. The government has no understanding of what the NHS is facing. We’re two years through a pandemic which is not over. Staff are absolutely exhausted and this is just another thing to discourage them from staying in the NHS. We’re seeing an exodus.”

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it cost £130 million to cover the cost of parking over two years.