People visiting Southport Hospital and Ormskirk Hospital will now have to pay to park there, with parking fees returning from next Tuesday (1 December).
Fees were suspended for all visitors when the Covid-19 pandemic first struck the UK in March.
Hospital bosses have now decided to reverse that decision with charges returning next week.
Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust has spent £325,000 this Summer installing a new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) car parking system.
Blue Badge holders will be able to park for free at Southport Hospital and Ormskirk Hospital when the new charges come into force this December.
Blue Badge holders should make a one-off validation of their badge to receive free parking. Only when the Badge is renewed will it need to be validated again. Details of how to do this are on the parking page of this website.
Parking continues to be free for:
- Relatives of patients at the end of life
- Cancer patients
- Parents of neonatal babies
- Parents of children staying overnight
Patients and visitors should speak to the relevant ward or department for further information.
A contactless card can also be used at the barrier to pay and the pre-pay the Glide smartphone app is available to download.
The system works using closed-circuit TV which registers each vehicle as they enter the car park.
To leave the driver must enter their vehicle registration number into the parking payment machine. It will calculate the fee and, once paid, will raise the exit barrier as the driver’s car approaches.
Chris Davies, Associate Director for Estates and Facilities, said: “Because this system uses number plate recognition technology, it means no lost or damaged tickets with the delays and frustration that can cause.”
Hospital parking fees remain unchanged.
Staff continue to park for free for the time being.
Scale of charges
| 0 to 20 minutes | Free |
| 20 minutes to 1 hour | £3 |
| 1 to 2 hours | £3.50 |
| 2 to 3 hours | £4 |
| 3 to 4 hours | £4.50 |
| 4 to 6 hours | £5.50 |
| More than 6 hours | £6.50 |
Discounts for frequent visitors
The hospitals offer a £20 weekly pass to frequent visitors which gives unlimited visits and may be renewed as many times as needed.
Apply at the General Office at either site on Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm or out of hours via the vending machines for weekly passes on each site.
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