NHS hospitals made a record £174 million in the last year from charging patients, visitors and staff for car parking, an investigation has found.

Southend, Basildon and Broomfield hospitals are among the most expensive hospital car parks in the country according to the data collected by the Press Association.

Southend hospital charges £3.10 for a one-hour stay while Basildon and Broomfield charge £3 for a one-hour stay.

Hospitals across England took £174,526,970 in parking charges in 2016/17, up 6 per cent on the year before, according to the data.

In 2015/16, £164,162,458 was raised.

Some 120 NHS trusts across England were asked to give figures on parking charges and fines under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, of which 111 responded.

While NHS trusts in England continue to charge patients, visitors and staff for parking, hospital parking in Scotland and Wales remains largely free.

A total of 40 trusts provided data on parking fines, showing they made £947,568 in 2016/17 from fining patients, visitors and staff on hospital grounds.

This was up 32 per cent on the £716,385 taken by the trusts the year before.