DUDLEY'S MP Ian Austin says he'll be writing to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over "frustrating" further parking charge hikes at the borough's hospitals.

Hospital bosses, however, have defended the decision to increase charges on car parks at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley and the Guest and Corbett Outpatient Centres, blaming pressures such as "running costs and keeping the car parks safe" for the rises which came into effect at the start of June.

Paula Clark, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said long-stay parking had only been increased by 10p and the 15-minutes free period to enable people to drop off and pick up patients remains the same.

However - the changes mean patients or relatives using the car parks will now have to pay £1.50 to park for just 30 minutes; up until 2013 anyone stopping for just half an hour could park for free.

The rises also mean those parking for an hour must now stump up £2.60 (up from £2); and it costs £3.60 for up to one-and-a-half hours (up from £3); £4.60 for up to three hours (up from £4) and £5.60 for up to 24 hours (up from £5.50).

Labour MP Mr Austin said "lots of people" have contacted him about the price hikes "to say how frustrating it is to have to spend so much on parking when going to the hospital for an appointment or to visit loved ones" and he added: "Like any other local family we queue up at Russells Hall when we’re ill, so I know how parking charges can rack up quickly – that’s why I have always campaigned against these charges.

“These fees often hit vulnerable people at a time when they may already be facing a fall in their income, and I want them cut.

“I’m writing to hospital bosses and the Health Secretary urging them to take action to bring down parking prices for patients.”

Quarry Bank councillor Bryan Cotterill, who has long campaigned for reduced charges, also branded the rises "shocking" and said he would be raising the issue with Dudley's health select committee..

He added: "They're just taxing the sick. It's just outrageous. They're ripping people off.

"Nobody objects to a small charge; we have to accept the car park has to be maintained but these charges are extortionate."

Hospital chief Ms Clark said the car park charges had remained unchanged for the past two years and added: "We do not take decisions to increase charges to patients lightly and we have checked the market rate to see how we compare to local Trusts, some of which charge for the first 15 minutes and most charge more for all day parking.

"We continue to offer a limited amount of free parking for patients attending treatment in the oncology and renal departments three times a week or more for an extended period."

She added that visitors with relatives and friends in hospital can buy value cards offering unlimited parking at a fixed fee for seven consecutive days.