A hospital is set to raise parking charges for visitors and patients by 10% at the start of next month, and reintroduce fees for NHS staff.

From October 1, the cost of a four-hour stay at Medway Maritime in Gillingham will increase from £4 to £4.40 - other prices will go up by the same percentage.

The trust says it is to cover increasing costs of maintaining the car park and is the first change to its charges since 2014.

Though the changes will apply to all visitors and patients, some concessions have been listed as exceptions.

Patients will receive free parking if they are receiving end of life care, are receiving cancer treatment and or attend hospital for an appointment at least three times a month for a minimum of three months.

Official volunteers will also not be charged, as well as parents who are staying with children under 16, who will be able to stay free of charge between 7am and 7pm.

Visitors will be offered a fixed rate weekly fee of £10.50 if they are relatives or carers of an oncology patient or a patient in intensive or special care.

'Costs of maintaining the car parks have increased, leading to us making this very difficult decision'

Those seeing loved ones who have been in hospital for more than seven days may also apply for this concessionary rate.

Anyone attending an outpatient clinic and red badge holders can have their parking fees reduced to £2.

All concessionary rates are liable to the terms and conditions explained on the hospital's website.

In a statement, a Medway Maritime Hospital spokesman said: "We have resisted increasing parking charges for a number of years, but associated costs of maintaining the car parks have increased, leading to us making this very difficult decision.

"The income that the trust receives from parking helps us pay for the maintenance and improvements of our car parks; any surplus beyond this is reinvested by the trust into supporting patient care."

Staff will also be charged to use the car park for the first time since Covid hit.

NHS trusts were given temporary funding from central government to pay for staff parking during the pandemic - something which was withdrawn in March.

Jayne Black, chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “After government funding for staff parking ended in March we continued to temporarily provide free parking for staff but knew we would have to take the difficult decision to re-instate charges.

"The trust will partially subsidise the cost of car parking, so many staff will pay a lower amount compared to before the pandemic, while some staff on higher incomes will pay slightly more.

"In addition, the trust provides free bus travel to all staff within a two-mile radius of our site.”

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust has also stated it will reintroduce parking fees to hospital staff from October 1.

A spokesperson from the trust said: "We have talked to colleagues about which benefits they value and while charges will resume next month, the Trust is subsidising the cost so the majority of staff will pay a much lower amount compared to pre-pandemic rates.

"We have also increased the free bus service for staff travelling to our sites.”