PATIENTS and visitors at Bradford's hospitals will have to pay to park again from the start of March, the NHS trust has announced.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it is bringing back parking charges in a phased manner from Monday at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital.

The move is in line with national guidance and follows other hospitals in West Yorkshire bringing back parking fees.

NHS staff will continue to get free parking at the Trust's sites.

Parking charges for all were suspended last April due to the Covid-19 lockdown, but will now return in a phased manner. These are the parking areas you will have to pay to use from March 1:

BRI: Pay and display bays at the front of BRI next to Duckworth Lane, opposite the hospital's accessible entrance, and a reduced number of bays will also be available adjacent to the Women & Children's Building.

St Luke's: Pay and display car park adjacent to Horton Wing and the Extension Block.

There will be a concessionary parking scheme providing free and reduced parking fees for those who qualify.

The following patients and visitors will be exempt from paying parking fees:

  • People receiving chemotherapy
  • People with family members on end of life care
  • Parents of babies in the Neonatal Unit
  • Patients attending outpatient appointments on a regular basis for long-term conditions
  • Parents of sick children staying in hospital overnight
  • Patients receiving renal dialysis treatment
  • Blue badge holders (in disabled bays and pay and display)

Reduced fee permits may also be available for inpatients who have been in hospital for more than seven days, and their nearest relative or friend can apply for this concession after visiting the hospital for more than seven days.

Patients whose treatment requires them to have multiple repeated attendances at a clinic or ward may also qualify for this concession.

If patients and visitors think they qualify for concessionary parking, they should ask a member of staff when they attend for treatment and an application form will be provided.

Please note that if you are attending for a Covid-19 vaccine or drive-through Covid-19 test, there will be no charge.

Mark Holloway, director of estates and facilities, said: “We have tried to be as fair as possible in not charging anyone for parking since last April, but we now need to start to reintroduce charges for patients and visitors, in line with other Trusts and national guidance.

“The money we receive from parking charges goes towards the maintenance and improvement of all car parks at both our hospitals, including the safety and security of our patients, staff and visitors by way of regular security patrols, the provision of CCTV and lighting, and also through gritting and snow clearing in adverse weather conditions.

“The car parks do not generate a profit and our aim will always be to keep charges as low as possible."