It comes as the area health service earned about $1.8 million from parking charges and about $20,000 from fines in the past financial year, almost all of which came from the busy Rankin Park campus.

The service would not provide precise revenue figures to The Herald. Instead it said the 2007-08 gross revenue was "relatively steady" on the previous financial year's takings.

But money earned from fines dipped in the past year to half the 2006-07 total.

The Rankin Park campus, which also includes the Royal Newcastle Centre and the Children's Hospital, and where about 8000 vehicles compete for 2600 car parks a day, brought in 95 per cent of the 2007-08 revenue.

The James Fletcher and Maitland hospitals accounted for the other 5 per cent.

Hunter New England corporate services service director James Brown said that the parking and fines revenue combined was less than 0.15 per cent of the health service's total annual operating budget of $1.3 billion.

The service was aware that parking availability was an ongoing issue for the community.

"That's why we are always looking at ways to ease congestion and encourage turnover of parking spaces so people coming to the hospital have a better chance of finding a park no matter what time of day," he said.

As part of this, the service was "reviewing" fees for staff and visitors at the hospital sites and planned to consult staff and union representatives before introducing any changes.

Health Services Union spokesman Peter Rumball said he was unaware of the review but it was unlikely the service would opt to reduce the fees.

CURRENT DAILY PARKING FEES

Visitors: John Hunter $4; James Fletcher $4;

Maitland $2.20

Staff: Fees are deducted fortnightly based on salary ranges and the location of the parking lot staff choose to use. Cost is from $6 to $14 a week.

Source: Hunter New England Health