Car park charges will nearly double for some staff working at Northwick Park Hospital.

The London North West University Healthcare Trust (LNWH) has confirmed that some staff at Northwick Park Hospital will have to pay more money than they currently do to park at the hospital starting from February 1.

This is due to an “extremely challenging” financial position the trust is faced and the need to minimise a negative impact on staffing levels and patient care.

The amount charged depends on a staff members salary band and their role in the hospital.

Some staff on higher bands will pay up to £3 per day or £91.25 per month.

However, staff classed in the lowest band will have their charges reduced to 80p per day or £24.30 per month.

Night staff will have free parking.

A spokesperson from the LNWH explained that the new parking fees are “significantly less” than private parking charges and is “still cheaper than alternative public transport costs”.

They said: “We accept this has been a difficult but necessary decision, which we did not take lightly.

“However, given our challenging financial position, we have made these changes to staff parking charges to help minimise the effect of our financial deficit on patient care as much as possible.

“The revised parking charges reflect individual’s ability to pay relating to their pay band, so our lowest paid staff will pay less for parking.

“This compares favourably with the cost of public transport which the majority of our staff uses.”

The trust has confirmed that some staff expressed dissatisfaction with the changes, and the Harrow Times have also received a few anonymous complaints.

The spokesperson added: “Staff are always welcome to share any concerns they have with us, and if there are any specific issues which require further review, we will of course work closely with them to resolve these.”