Car parking charges boosted Shropshire hospital coffers by more than £800,000 over 12 months, new figures show.

And across the country NHS hospitals made more than £112 million in charges during the year, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. The data for 2007/8 was released following a Freedom Of Information request to the Department of Health, to which hospitals provide figures on a voluntary basis.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust did not provide an overall figure, but revealed to the Shropshire Star its figure was £684,566.

A trust spokesman said: “Our hospital car parking charges are a maximum of £2 per day.

“We also have a range of concessions to support people on low incomes or people who are on treatment plans which require regular visits to hospital.”

All patients and visitors can purchase a weekly ticket for £8, which is a discount of up to 42 per cent.

Patients on regular treatment plans can buy a half-price season ticket for 10 visits over an unlimited period.

People who are on low incomes may be eligible to recover all or part of the costs of their hospital travel through the national Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme.

The spokesman said income was used in a variety of ways, including covering the capital and maintenance costs of providing a car park and supporting security services to help protect patients and staff.

Charges at the Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, near Oswestry, brought in £133,000, according to the Liberal Democrat figures.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge made the most out of any hospital, with £2.8 million in total.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an urgent review.

Norman Lamb, party health spokesman, said: “Many hospitals are still not offering real discounts to those with chronic illnesses and are effectively operating a tax on the sick.

“No-one is denying the need for hospitals to cover their costs, but that doesn’t mean they can use hidden charges to help themselves out of financial black holes.”