New parking tariffs at Devon’s hospitals

Parking charges increased and brought into line for all hospitals managed by the Royal Devon Healthcare Trust.

Patients and the public will pay the same to park at NHS hospitals across Devon, following a review. Car parking charges are regularly benchmarked against local authority car park charges, and as part of this review we have agreed to harmonise our approach to give simplicity and equity across all of Devon’s hospitals.

There will be an increase to charges at our Royal Devon sites as a result of this, as follows:

• The standardised tariff will continue to offer the first 30 minutes of parking for free

• Two hours parking will be £2.70, 3 hours will be £3.90, 4 hours £4.80, 5 hours £6.50, 6 hours £8.50, and 7 to 24 hours will be £15

Hospitals implementing the changes include the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford and Heavitree), North Devon District Hospital, Bideford Hospital, and Barnstaple Health Centre.

Chris Tidman, Royal Devon Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are bringing the cost of parking in line across Devon so that charges are the same for public and patients no matter which area they live in.

“We have maintained exemptions so that free parking remains available for those with greatest need such as disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of sick children staying overnight, and visitors of relatives who are gravely ill or have an extended stay in hospital.

“We know that car parking charges can be an emotive issue, but the income it provides is essential to firstly cover the costs of providing and maintaining our car parks, with the balance of the income being used to support the Trust to provide patient care. So, unlike some other hospitals around the country who have outsourced their car parking, all parking income is retained by the Trust.”

We understand that paying for parking is difficult for some people and there are exemptions for certain groups of visitors published on the site information pages of our website. We urge you to check this as you may be entitled to claim back parking and travel expenses.