TRAFFORD General’s car park has been rated the third best in the country.

The hospital has been ranked the third best in England and top in Greater Manchester when it comes to parking facilities for patients and visitors, according to a national study by consumer magazine Which?.

It comes less than a year after Trafford General became the only acute hospital in England to provide free parking for all patients and hospital visitors.

Visitors can automatically park for free at Trafford General for up to three hours. If they need to stay longer, they just have to provide their car registration details at the main reception, A&E or the Euro Car Parks office to continue parking for free.

Ron Calvert, chief executive of Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been rated one of the top three hospitals in the country on parking for patients and visitors.

“Providing free parking is just one of the ways we seek to give patients and visitors the best possible experience of care.”

Ann Day, chair of Trafford LINk, said: “Attending hospital, whether as a patient or a visitor, can be a worrying and stressful time.

“It’s a huge relief not to have to think about making sure you have money to pay for parking.”

Chorley and South Ribble and Royal Preston Hospitals, both run by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, were the only hospitals to score better than Trafford General.