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
Parking terms and conditions
1. Unless directed to do so by a member of the parking team, parking (including stopping and waiting) is prohibited in the following areas (these rules also apply to blue-badge holders):
On double yellow or red lines and all hatched areas
In ambulance bays or In proximity to fire access routes, fire escapes or emergency exits
On access roads, pathways and grassed verges
At bus stops and delivery bays.
In any area not designated for parking, including areas cordoned off with cones/barriers.
2. All patients and visitors must use areas designated for visitor parking (not staff parking):
If using a 'pay-on-foot' car park - take a ticket upon entry and pat at a Pay Station before returning to your vehicle. Then proceed to the exit barrier. Charges are displayed on tarrif boards at the entry barrier, and on the pay station
In selected areas indicated as 'pay & display', the ticket must be purchased upon arrival and displayed in the windscreen or via cashless payment app. Charges are displayed on tarrif boards at the pay machines.
3. Only vehicles displaying a valid blue-badge may park in the designated disabled bays
4. Motorcycles must park in designated motorcycle areas and not in car park bays
5. No vehicle shall occupy a drop-off bay for longer than 15 minutes (no return within 1 hour). Some drop-off bays are signposted NO WAITING in which case, the 15 minute period does not apply
6. Failure to follow these terms and conditions will result in the issue of a £35 Parking Charge Notice (PCN). If no payment has been received after 28 days the registered keeper details will be requested from the DVLA in relation to the unpaid charge, and further charges may be added during the recovery process
7. The Trust does not accept responsibility for any theft or damage to vehicles and/or their contents. Vehicle security is the responsibility of the owner/driver.
Need help?
Our car parks are patrolled on a daily basis by members of the Trust’s Parking Team who will be able to help resolve parking issues. They are available from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
The main Parking Administration Office is available from 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday, and can be contacted on 01303 852732.
There is also a 24/7 car park helpdesk available via the intercom buttons on each entry/exit barrier or at the pay stations.
Where to find parking attendants
William Harvey Hospital
Cabin opposite the main hospital entrance 07976 364619 or 07976 364616.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital
Cabin on the St Peter’s Rd side 07976 364621 or 07976 364610.
Kent & Canterbury Hospital
Cabin opposite the Fracture Clinic entrance 07976 364613 or 07976 364614.
Buckland Hospital
See Reception staff - 01303 852732.
Royal Victoria Hospital
See Reception staff - 01303 852732.
Other
To contact the intercom operator call 07827 662193.
For non-urgent enquiries, please email the team at ekh-tr.travelsmart@nhs.net.