A STAGGERING £2.4 million has been raised from parking charges at Airedale Hospital in the past three years, it has been revealed.

Patients and visitors forked out a whopping £1,638,816, while staff paid a total of £831,215.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, have sparked anger and condemnation.

And Keighley's new Labour MP, John Grogan, has pledged to raise the issue of hospital parking fees with Government ministers.

"The Labour manifesto promised to abolish charges in the interests of patients," he said.

"Obviously we are not in a position to deliver this promise at present, but I do hope the Government will consider some concession on the matter."

The last financial year saw Airedale NHS Foundation Trust take £516,252 from patient and visitor parking. In 2015-16 the total was £543,567 and the year before that, £578,997.

Staff parking generated £283,496 in 2016-17, compared to £270,138 in the previous 12 months and £277,581 in 2014-15.

Some of the statistics were obtained by Councillor Michael Westerman, chairman of Keighley Town Council's watch and transport committee, who said he was horrified at the results.

He blasts the amount the public has to pay, which soared two months ago.

"People are having to pay more and more money and it's ridiculous," he said.

"When patients go to hospital their appointments often run over – I was there for an appointment recently and it ran two hours late.

"The fact is when you go to hospital you just don't know how long you will be.

"If patients have to pay, it should pay a nominal, flat-rate amount, irrespective of what time they spend there."

In April, the fee for up to two hours rose from £2.50 to £3, for two to four hours from £3 to £5, and for up to 24 hours from £3.50 to £8. The first 20 minutes remained free.

"These are scandalous increases," added Cllr Westerman.

"Hospital bosses are putting money before patients and that shouldn't be the case.

"I have had a lot of people contact me about parking at Airedale."

He also hits out at the charges imposed on staff, claiming that employees on lower salary levels should not be expected to pay.

"There are nursing staff and junior doctors who are absolutely brilliant and don't get enough money as it is – why should they be paying to park at work?" he said.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said at the time of the increases that parking charges had not risen for ten years and the move brought the trust into line with others across West Yorkshire.

It said the revenue was reinvested in patient services, resurfacing and maintaining the car park estate and upgrading CCTV and security.

And it added that various concessionary permits and exemptions were available for certain categories of patient.

The trust declined to issue any statement in relation to the new figures.