BARNSLEY Hospital collected almost £900,000 in parking fees last year, a freedom of information request has revealed.
It was submitted by Eamonn Patterson, who asked for figures dating back to 2011.
It revealed the amount gained by the hospital has grown steadily since then, rising from £807,804 that year to £890,067 in 2013.So far this year, the hospital has collected £345,408.
The totals include money for staff parking permits.
A spokesman for Barnsley Hospital said revenues from car parking had increased between 2011 and 2014, but this was due to more people using the car parks rather than an increase in fees.
He said prices were only raised once in November, the first rise in five years.
"The money we raise from the car parks is used to cover our running costs. Our revenues from parking are therefore essential to ensure that money is not diverted away from patient care."
** The full story appears in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated June 20. **
