Nearly 10,000 parking fines have been issued at Salisbury District Hospital (SDH) since June 2023.

An FOI request made by the Journal has revealed that 9,727 parking fines were issued at the hospital car park between June 2023 and May 2024.

The data shows that 2,770 fines have been withdrawn following appeals.

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This comes after parking charges were reinstated at the hospital in June 2023, having been disabled for three months due to a high number of complaints about the new automatic plate recognition service (ANPR).

Since then, at least 151 complaints have been made regarding hospital parking. The highest number of complaints were submitted in April, with 31 people coming forward. 

SDH has 2,177 spaces for car parking, 720 of which are for patients and visitors, and the remaining spaces for staff.

The car park is run by the hospital, with all profits returning to the hospital budget. Parking company APCOA is paid by the hospital for the ANPR.

A spokesperson for SDH said that the number of fines handed out are similar to figures in 2018. 

They continued: “Between June 2023 and May 2024, 9,727 Parking Charge Notices (PCN’s) the majority were issued to the registered keeper of vehicles that had not completed a payment for their parking at the hospital, this includes staff, patients, and visitors.”

Salisbury Journal: Salisbury District Hospital

 “As of January 2024, 75.2 per cent of car park income is via contactless card payment and only 8 per cent in cash, with 16.8 per cent being via the app, which also allows drivers to pay up to 24hrs after leaving the hospital site.  In May 2024 1,126 late pay transactions were received via the app.”

SDH interim chief executive officer Lisa Thomas added: “I am sorry that the building work on the new ward coinciding with the new ANPR system has caused stress to many of our patients, visitors and staff. We will continue to respond compassionately to people who have genuine reasons why they weren’t able to pay for parking.

“To help alleviate the pressure on the car parks hospital staff are encouraged to use alternative means of transport whenever possible. 

“But the harsh reality remains that parking at the hospital will remain under pressure, we neither have the immediate space or resources to comply with any further planning applications to increase car parking.”