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Patient and visitor car parking tariffs to increase
Due to rising inflation and operational costs, car parking charges for patients and visitors to the West Suffolk Hospital are to set to change from Tuesday, 1 April 2025.
Car parking charges at the hospital increased for the first time in five years in 2024. The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) committed to reviewing charges annually and has taken the decision to increase all parking charges for 2025/26.
While patient and visitor charges were increased for the first time since 2019 in 2024, in line with the value of inflation (as per the consumer price index) at the time, the increase this year takes account of the full inflationary changes over that five-year period. Going forward, prices will increase in line with inflation on an annual basis.
Jonathan Rowell, interim chief finance officer for WSFT, said: “To mitigate against rising costs of inflation and as part of an annual price review, the Trust has taken the decision to increase car parking charges. We understand this may impact on the budgets of our staff, patients, and visitors and offer free parking and concessionary rates for patients and families in need, to support them when they are unwell.
“Any surplus income the Trust makes from car parking is reinvested into patient care and services after regular, operational car park expenses are deducted.”
General charges for patients and visitors
All payments for parking at West Suffolk Hospital can be made at a pay machine or online.
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Length of stay
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Current 2024/25
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2025/26 charges
|
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Up to 1-hour
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£2.30
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£2.70
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1-2 hours
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£4.40
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£5.30
|
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2-3 hours
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£6.70
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£8.00
|
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3-4 hours
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£8.80
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£10.50
|
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4-5 hours
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£11.10
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£13.20
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5+ hours
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£13.20
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£15.80
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Concessions
Concessionary rates will be rise in line with the current rate of inflation (3.5% CPI).
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Length of stay
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2024/25 charges
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2025/26 charges
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Weekly ticket
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£31.30
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£32.40
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Carers daily rate
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£3.10
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£3.20
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Free parking arrangements
- Blue badge holders
- Macmillan unit outpatients, including parents of children attending paediatric outpatient appointments
- Parents of babies admitted to the neo-natal unit
- High-risk antenatal patients
- Cardiac rehab patients
- Phototherapy patients
- Families of end of life patients
- Frequent outpatient attenders - outpatients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times a month for an overall period of at least three months
- Parents of sick children staying overnight - a parent or guardian of a child or young person under the age of 18 years of age who is admitted as an inpatient overnight; free parking between the hours of 7:30pm and 8am, maximum of two vehicles
- Hospice patients and visitors
- Renal patients using designated renal unit parking bays.
Weekly tickets
- Available at a reduced rate for patients/visitors needing to attend on a regular basis.
Reduced rate daily tickets
These are available for:
- family carers.
- patients receiving universal credit (patients can apply for additional concessions).
- those staying 20 minutes or less in the front car park and 30 minutes at the back with various drop off/pick up points available around the West Suffolk Hospital site.
Please email carparkingenquiries@wsh.nhs.uk if you have any questions.
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