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The scale of the NHS car parking scandal is getting even worse after the Tories ignored demands from all sides to scrap the charges.

Alarming figures show the rip-off fees, slammed as a “tax on the sick”, raked in a record £272million last year.

This is £46million more than the previous 12 months, a rise of 20%.

NHS staff are forking out much more in total and rising numbers of disabled people are having to pay up.

This comes as the car park charges continue to increase. Most revenue is swallowed up by the private firms that operate car parks on behalf of hospitals.

Shadow Health Minister Julie Cooper said: “The whole situation is a disgrace.”

Tory MP Robert Halfon said: “NHS hospital car parking charges are a stealth tax on the sick, the elderly, the vulnerable and on our incredible NHS staff. This is wholly wrong.”

His Commons motion in 2018 to scrap the charges was backed by more than 100 fellow MPs.

But the Government refused to take the issue forward.

The new NHS Digital figures show that of the 227 NHS trusts in England, 169 charge disabled badge holders to park – up 40% since 2014 when the then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt vowed to reform the system.

But instead of scrapping charges in England, to bring it in line with Scotland and Wales, he asked hospitals to set “reasonable” fees.

Our probe today also shows NHS staff paid £86million at health service car parks in 2018/19, up 24% in a year.

(Image: Birmingham Post)

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust raked in the most, £6.3million in total, with half of it from staff.

Labour has vowed to scrap the charges if it wins the election. The Mirror is also campaigning for a ban.

We can also reveal the average hourly NHS parking fee has risen from £1.19 in 2013/14 to £1.35 in 2018/19, a 13% increase.

Most trusts hire private parking enforcement firms.

Kelvin Reynolds, of the British Parking Association, which represents firms, said: “I agree £272million is a whopping sum, but if drivers didn’t pay this, the costs for providing, patrolling... and maintaining the car parks would have to be paid by someone else.”

The Department of Health said: “NHS trusts are responsible for setting their car parking charges and we are very clear that patients, their families and our hardworking staff should not be subjected to unfair parking charges.

“We expect trusts to offer concessions for disabled parking, and any revenue must go back into frontline services.”

With the election looming, the Tories are trying to repair their woeful reputation on the NHS.

The new data shows Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes Addenbrooke’s Hospital where Boris Johnson this week staged a media event, charges an average hourly fee of £2.70, the 11th most.