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Hospital parking charges are set to rise to help fund operating costs, health bosses have said.

From Monday the cost to park at Barnsley Hospital will go up, with the price for 60 minutes rising from £1.30 to £1.50, while a weekly pass will rise from £10 to £11.50.

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said charges at the site had only increased twice in the past 16 years.

A spokesperson said the money raised would be re-invested into maintaining the car parks and other key areas in order to "improve the overall patient experience".

"Whilst it is widely acknowledged that this comes at a time when it is already increasingly difficult financially for many, the increase has been kept to a minimum, and is still comparable with tariffs from other local Trusts in the region," they added.

Free parking will still be available to blue badge holders, outpatients who attend regular appointments to manage long-term conditions, parents of sick children staying in hospital overnight and patients receiving certain benefits.

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