ALMOST £2m was generated in hospital car parking charges over the last year, new figures reveal.

An eye-watering £1,930,677 was pocketed by the Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2016/17 from patients, visitors and staff using the car parks compared to £1,779,398 in 2015/16.

The figure stood at just £1,486,425 in 2013/14.

GWH’s latest parking income equates to around £5,300 being raised every day.

Figures requested by the Press Association from 111 hospital trusts show that nationally, car parking charges add up to a record £174million – with £15m generated from the West Country alone.

In Swindon, it was two years ago that parking charges for GWH staff were increased by 50 per cent to £1.50 while night workers who were previously exempt from charges between 7pm to 7am also began to pay.

Between 6am and 6pm car parking at the 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.

Rupert Turk, Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The money we receive for parking charges continues to go back into the maintenance, staffing and improvements of our car parking facilities.

“The Trust invested in over 400 extra car parking spaces last year, 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.”

All hospitals in the region which provided data had increased their parking income from the year before.

Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the current state of NHS finances meant it was sometimes hard to blame hospitals for trying to find money. But she said that did not make the current situation acceptable.

She added: "For patients, parking charges amount to an extra charge for being ill.

"Hospital appointments are often delayed or last longer than expected, so even if you pay for parking you could end up being fined if your ticket runs out."

People wanting to find out more about GWH's car parking charges can visit www.gwh.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/car-parking/parking-charges/