HOSPITALS across the region have raked in millions of pounds in parking charges in the past year.

A Freedom of Information request submitted by The Northern Echo to seven North-East and North Yorkshire hospital trusts has revealed that a total of £4,760,221.27 of income has been received over the financial year which finished at the end of March.

The trusts have defended the charges saying that the fees pay for the maintenance of the car parks and, as a consequence, funds are not diverted from vital services within the hospital.

However, the amount has been criticised by patients' groups and charities who say the hospitals are cashing in on people when they are at their most vulnerable.

Macmillan Cancer Support is campaigning to have all car parking charges dropped for cancer patients.

Regional director Maureen Rutter said: "These figures are shocking. When the Government announced its revised hospital car parking guidance last year, Macmillan fully expected NHS trusts to look again at their hospital car parking charges and exempt cancer patients - however, we have yet to see this happen.

"Macmillan is encouraging people to write to their hospitals and ask them to look again at car parking charges."

The most expensive of the trusts was North Tees, which operates hospitals in Hartlepool, Stockton and Peterlee.

Although the first ten minutes in the car park are free, it rises to £2.60 for the first hour.

In comparison, car parking prices at Darlington Memorial Hospital are £1.50 for the first two hours.

North Tees recouped a total of £1,277,50 in staff and patient parking charges.

Dave Allsopp, director of human resources and operations for North Tees, said: "We have special arrangements for patients and visitors who have to make frequent visits to our hospitals, for example those who are having daily treatment for an extended length of time.

"Last year, we increased our car parking charges as part of our financial recovery plan. We thought long and hard before doing this because we know increases are unpopular; however, we took this decision because we wanted to preserve jobs and services."