EXCLUSIVE: The Health Secretary wrongly claimed no staff have to pay despite mounting financial pressure and some Trusts bringing charges back. Now 42 MPs, unions and a nursing campaign group are urging Boris Johnson not just to guarantee free staff parking – but make it permanent

Matt Hancock said NHS staff don’t have to pay at hospitals – but hospital chiefs say the truth is more complicated (Image)

Matt Hancock this week boasted “we don’t have parking charges for English hospitals, and we’re not going to for the course of the pandemic”.

But he was slammed after the Mirror identified at least two NHS trusts that have brought back staff parking fees already.

And NHS Providers, which represents hospital chiefs, told us countless more are under pressure to bring back charges due to a lack of guaranteed funds.

Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said: “If the government wants to abolish charges, they’re going to have to give us the money.

“Otherwise you’ll be creating a funding gap which will ultimately impact patients.”

She added: “It is not clear that free car parking for staff is still being funded, because the government hasn’t been clear how much lost non NHS income will be reimbursed or for what. We would like clarity on that.”