MSP Welcomes New Guidance on Hospital Parking

Strathaven based SNP MSP, Linda Fabiani, has welcomed the publication of new guidance on hospital car parking issued by the Scottish Government to NHS Boards which, will ensure that patients and staff are protected from the introduction of excessive car parking charges.

The guidance, drawn up by a review group, states that health boards must operate a presumption against parking charges and where charging is used, all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that these charges are not excessive for people working at or visiting a hospital.

The key principles of the guidance are:

* NHS Boards have a responsibility to work with local and regional partners to help to ensure good access for patients, carers, visitors and staff to NHS sites

* Car parking should be provided free of charge at most NHS sites

* Boards may make reasonable charges for car parking as part of a planned approach to facilitating access to sites, and to cover the costs of car park provision

* Boards must ensure that there is a reasonable allocation of car parking spaces available to allow patients and carers to attend clinics and appointments, including access for emergencies, and there should be clear information available to patients on how to get to the site including parking arrangements and any concessions

* Boards must ensure that a reasonable allocation of spaces is also made available for staff, reflecting the overall availability of car parking on the site

* Arrangements for allocating staff parking, which must reflect the needs of good employment practice and essential car use required for the delivery of services, must be agreed through local staff partnership arrangements

It also states that boards should not look at parking management in isolation, but should consider wider travel and access issues. Additionally schemes which impose uniform charges and conditions across a number of sites are not acceptable under the new guidance.

Boards are also instructed to publicise more widely concessionary parking and operate them more flexibly.

Commenting on the review of the guidance Ms Fabiani said:

“The review group has endorsed the view that, in general, car parking at hospitals should be provided free of charge.

“This is good news for hospital patients and staff alike. NHS Boards now have a clearer system of guidance that will help them formulate policies around this issue which can be a problem on some hospital sites.

“It should also provide some reassures to patients and staff at various hospitals, including Hairmyres, that from today they have greater clarity on this matter.”