Hospital parking charges to rise

INCREASES KEPT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE SAY BOSSES

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT Local democracy reporter

SOME hospital parking charges will rise by as much as £3 from Monday, June 2.

University Hospitals Tees, the partnership of the North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, has announced the parking charge increases. They affect the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, the Peterlee Community Hospital and the Friarage in Northallerton.

Parking will still be free for the first 20 minutes, an option highly valued by families dropping off or picking up loved ones from hospital, with Peterlee’s current 10-minute free period doubled. Charges for up to four hours’ parking will rise by between 30p and 60p at the hospitals.

At James Cook, North Tees and Hartlepool, parking will be £3.60 for up to two hours, £4.60 for up to four hours, £6.60 for up to 12 hours, and £8 for up to 24 hours.