Once work to improve the car parks has been completed, every patient and visitor to the hospital will be entitled to park there for free. 

The move was approved last month by the board of Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital. 

Although parking is free at hospitals in Scotland and Wales, and at some small outpatient and community hospitals in England, it is believed that Trafford General will become the first acute hospital in England to provide free parking for all. 

Ron Calvert, trust chief executive, said: “We listen carefully to patients and their visitors and it is clear they find paying for hospital parking an unnecessary stress, expense and hassle. 

“Our mission is to provide excellent healthcare in a safe, clean and caring environment that puts patients’ needs first. That’s why we are making Trafford General the first acute hospital to offer free parking to patients and visitors. We believe we are leading the way in putting patients’ needs first.” 

The initiative will come into effect when work to improve the hospital car parks is completed later this summer. Afterwards there will be barrier-controlled entry to the public car parks on the Trafford General sites. However, patients and hospital visitors will be given an exit pass entitling them to leave the car parks without paying. Hospital staff will continue to pay for parking. 

Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust was named Medium-Sized Hospital Trust of the Year in the Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2009 and was one of just 14 trusts nationally – and the only one in the North West – to be placed in the top-performing band for patient safety. 

The trust also runs Stretford Memorial Hospital in Old Trafford, which provides outpatient services and also provides free parking; and Altrincham General Hospital, a town centre hospital that does not have its own car park. 

Nationally, the former Labour government had laid out plans to follow in the footsteps of Wales and Scotland and scrap all parking charges across England. However, since the General Election, there are no current plans for the coalition government to deliver on this pledge.