A CONSERVATIVE politician has urged government to end the “injustice” of hospital car parking charges.

MP Robert Halfron has branded the parking fees a “stealth tax”. Today, he will lead a debate in the House of Commons on a parliamentary bill to scrap hospital car parking charges.

Last year, the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust pocketed more than £1.9 million from patients, visitors and staff from its car parks – the equivalent of £5,300 a day.

The figure - obtained by the Press Association - was up more than £150,000 on the previous year. Between 2013/14 and 2016/17, the income the trust received from car parking increased by 30 per cent.

Robert Halfron MP, who has proposed the law to stop car parking charges, said: “These car parking fees are a stealth tax on patients, on the vulnerable (including the elderly and disabled), on visitors, and on staff.

“We say that the NHS is free, yet people with cars seem to have to pay.

“It is for these reasons that, following my parliamentary bill, I am pleased to have secured a debate on Thursday to scrap hospital car parking charges.

“We hope that if this motion is passed, the health secretary will take urgent action to end this injustice once and for all.”

In Swindon, between 6am and 6pm parking at GWH is free for 0-20 minutes, £1 per hour for up to four hours, £6.50 for four to six hours and £8 for six to 24 hours.

From 6pm to 6am car parking is £1 for up to two hours and £2 for more than two hours. There is no charge for disabled parking spaces.

Responding to December’s story, GWH said that parking fees was invested back into the “maintenance, staffing and improvement” of car parking facilities.

Rupert Turk, the trust’s deputy director of estates and facilities, said: “The trust invested in over 400 extra car parking spaces last year [2016], making it much easier for patients, visitors and staff to park on the Great Western Hospital site.

“These improvements are likely to have contributed to the increase in income seen this year.”