Staff parking permit charges at hospital sites run by the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust will be increasing by 10 per cent from July, leaving already cash-trapped NHS workers even worse off.

A member of staff who works at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, who did not want to be named, said: "I’ll be paying £660 a year to park at my own work. It’s ridiculous.

"It’s just very sad someone on a fairly average wage has to find £660 per year to park at their work, when they’re employed by the NHS.

"£55 per month is precious money I could use for food, bills, childcare etc.

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"I’m paid £43k per year and pay the same for parking as senior managers on £69k."

A spokesperson for the NHS trust said: "During the Covid pandemic, the trust received national funding for free NHS staff parking. This funding stopped on March 31, 2022. Since then the trust has continued to subsidise parking for staff to the same or less than pre-pandemic fees.

"Staff on the lowest salaries will continue to have subsidised fees, funded by the trust. However, we are now no longer able to maintain current prices for all, and will be increasing staff parking permit charges by 10 per cent from July in order to continue to provide and improve our parking facilities to staff."

The changes will apply to staff working at Lister Hospital in Stevenage, the New QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City and Hertford County Hospital.

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The financial struggle many NHS workers are having, due in part to the cost-of-living crisis, has been well-publicised in recent months, with nurses and junior doctors striking over pay and working conditions.

The staff parking permit price hike comes after the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said it was "looking at how best to support our people as the cost of living increases", announcing plans for a "staff community shop" at Stevenage's Lister Hospital, to help employees struggling with price rises. 

The NHS trust says it has signposted staff to financial support resources that are available.