SOUTH West Acute Hospital lost over £300,000 in maintaining its car park last year, figures released by Health Minister Simon Hamilton have revealed.


The revenue generated through car parking charges at the Enniskillen hospital in 2014/15 came to £59,200 which falls considerably short of the £366,729 required to operate and maintain the facility.


Minister Hamilton told Sinn Fein’s Phil Flanagan that all revenue raised by the charges is re-invested to cover the costs of providing car parking and any surplus is re-invested into patient care. But as there was no surplus last year none of the money was therefore re-invested into patient care.


Mr. Flanagan, a Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA, said it is “absolutely ridiculous” that people working in, visiting or accessing services in South West Acute Hospital are expected to pay “such an extortionate rate for parking charges, let alone one in an out of town setting.”


He told Stormont Files this week: “What is additionally frustrating is that the revenue generated from parking charges does not cover the cost of the system put in place so this actually places a financial burden on the Western Trust and creates additional financial pressures on the health service to subsidise privatised parking charges.”