The majority of cars clamped at St Helier Hospital last year belonged to staff, it has emerged.

The trust was criticised earlier this year after it appeared among the worst in a research undertaken by consumer watchdog Which? to find out the UK’s worst NHS hospital car parks.

At an Epsom and Ewell health liaison panel meeting last week, the director of communications from the trust, Antony Tiernan, admitted the majority of those clamped and charged to have their cars returned were members of staff.

He said: “The majority of those who were clamped at our car park were our own members of staff and we’re obviously not proud of it.”

It was revealed in June the trust had clamped 1,671 cars. It was also revealed the total revenue made from the car park in just one year was £1,851,271.

However at the meeting, Mr Tiernan said the profit made was considerably less than £1.8m because many had won their money back on appeal. He did not disclose the total amount returned on appeal.

It was mentioned at the meeting health bosses have come up with a concept called the Big Conversation – they have listened to 1,100 patients, staff and members of the public and will publish the data once it has been analysed.

Topics covered by the Big Conversation survey included whether Epsom and St Helier Trust charges and associated penalties were fair, whether there was priority parking for those who needed it, and whether the trust should stop clamping vehicles for parking infringements.

St Helier Hospital was one of four the watchdog named as the biggest offenders for clamping, fining, charging or generating complaints from patients and those who were visiting.

Trust director of corporate infrastructure Nick Gorvett said earlier this year: “We are committed to listening to people and making sure we are doing all we can to strike the balance between having well run car parks, while making sure we do not make it difficult for patients to access our services or stop friends and relatives visiting.

“We need to ensure emergency vehicles can access areas they need to, when they need to, and that the patients and visitors coming to our hospitals can park conveniently in a safe and well-maintained area.”

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