Parking

Find out about pay on foot charges, pay and display parking charges, parking rules and help.

We will never phone you about parking charges. Do not pay if you get a phone call asking for money for parking at our hospitals.

If you have any concerns, please contact our Parking Administration Office on 01303 852732.

ANPR (barrier) parking charges

  • Free for up to 20 minutes (to find a space or drop-off)

  • £2.50 for the first hour

  • 20p for every 12 minutes after the first hour

  • Maximum charge of £12 for up to 24 hours

  • Motorcycles & mopeds – free (only in motorcycle bays)

  • Weekly passes are £16 (see below for details)

Some people can park for free. See ‘concessions’ below for more information.

How to pay

When you drive up to the entry barrier at the car park, a camera will read your number plate. The barrier will then rise.

Pay for parking before going back to your vehicle. Payment machines can be found at our hospital entrances.

Choose ‘pay for parking’ on the touch screen, enter your registration number and pay for the time you have parked.

You can pay with coins (correct change only), contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

The camera will read your number plate as you drive out of the car park. It will know you have paid and rise.

You can speak to our parking team by pressing the help button on the pay machines and exit barriers if you need help. 

Pay & Display parking charges

Some of our smaller car parks are pay and display. These cost:

  • £2.50 for the first hour

  • £1 per additional hour - a maximum of £12 per day

How to pay

After parking, go to one of the car park’s pay machines and buy a ticket. Display the printed ticket clearly in your windscreen.

You can pay with coins (correct change only), contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

You can also pay to park in our Pay & Display car parks with the RingGo app on your smartphone. Signs show the codes for each car park. It costs an extra 20p to use this service. The app also charges 10p each for optional text message reminders.

Disabled parking, weekly permits and other concessions

Designated bays for blue-badge holders are near to the entrances of all our hospitals. These bays are located outside of the ANPR barrier controlled car parks for easy access.

Please clearly display the blue-badge in your windscreen, following the Blue-Badge handbook rules. 

Regular visitors

You may be eligible for free parking if you visit our hospitals for clinical care three times or more per month for three months in a row. Please speak to the reception staff in your treatment area for details.

If you are eligible, staff will register your vehicle on the ANPR system. You can then exit the car park without paying.

Parents of children staying overnight

Parents or guardians of inpatients under 18 can park for free overnight. Parking is free between 7.30pm and 8am while visiting your child. Please speak to the reception staff in the children’s ward for details. If you are eligible, staff will register your vehicle on the ANPR system. You can then exit the car park without paying.

Parents of infants in SCBU/NICU may also be eligible for free parking. Please speak to department staff.

Weekly parking permits

If you need to visit the hospital a few times in one week, our £16.00 weekly parking pass can cut the cost.

At pay machines, select ‘buy 7 day pass’. The 7 days will start from the time you buy the ticket.

Income from parking

All income from our parking, after car park costs, supports patient care at East Kent Hospitals. We do not profit share with a third-party private operator.

Parking