Monday 21 Jan 2008 @ 14:48
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
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Hospital car parking charges
New guidance on hospital car parking was issued to the NHS last week.
A review group set up to look at parking charges recommended a maximum charge, but said that further analysis was needed to determine what the maximum charge should be.
As an interim measures, boards were advised at the end of last year that they will not be able to charge more than £3 a day for hospital car parking.
The revised guidance, drawn up by the review group and issued to health boards today, states that boards must operate a presumption against charging 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.
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.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"The review group has endorsed the view that in general, car parking at hospitals should be provided free of charge.
"It also came to the conclusion that a maximum charge should be set, and in order to protect against unnecessary or excessive charges in the meantime, I decided in December to introduce a cap of £3 a day, which boards should implement without delay.
"Evidence from a number of health boards shows that charging high daily rates is not the only way to discourage or control unauthorised parking and I agree with the group's recommendation that all other avenues should be explored before charges are introduced.
"I hope that this guidance reassures those staff, patients and visitors who have had concerns about parking charges, and that we see fairer, more affordable schemes in place across Scotland."
The remit of the review group was: "To review existing guidance on car parking and arrangements for car parking charging, with an emphasis on the impact of staff, particularly lower paid staff, and offer views on how guidance or schemes might be amended to safeguard access for patients, and ensure equitable treatment for staff who have specific transport needs."
The Review Group comprised representatives from the Scottish Partnership Forum to ensure that the group was fully aware of the views of staff about hospital car parking arrangements and charges, patient, carer and disabled representatives nominated by the Scottish Health Council, a voluntary organisation (Macmillan Cancer Support in view of their knowledge and experience through the Better Deal campaign on the cost of travel and car parking), a NHS Board Chair, an HR Director and a Director of Planning.
As well as considering the level a maximum charge should be set at, a further review will also consider the position of car parks covered by existing PFI contracts. The guidance issued today applies whether a car parking facility is provided by the NHS board or a commercial concern.
Related Information
A review group set up to look at parking charges recommended a maximum charge, but said that further analysis was needed to determine what the maximum charge should be.
As an interim measures, boards were advised at the end of last year that they will not be able to charge more than £3 a day for hospital car parking.
The revised guidance, drawn up by the review group and issued to health boards today, states that boards must operate a presumption against charging 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.
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.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"The review group has endorsed the view that in general, car parking at hospitals should be provided free of charge.
"It also came to the conclusion that a maximum charge should be set, and in order to protect against unnecessary or excessive charges in the meantime, I decided in December to introduce a cap of £3 a day, which boards should implement without delay.
"Evidence from a number of health boards shows that charging high daily rates is not the only way to discourage or control unauthorised parking and I agree with the group's recommendation that all other avenues should be explored before charges are introduced.
"I hope that this guidance reassures those staff, patients and visitors who have had concerns about parking charges, and that we see fairer, more affordable schemes in place across Scotland."
The remit of the review group was: "To review existing guidance on car parking and arrangements for car parking charging, with an emphasis on the impact of staff, particularly lower paid staff, and offer views on how guidance or schemes might be amended to safeguard access for patients, and ensure equitable treatment for staff who have specific transport needs."
The Review Group comprised representatives from the Scottish Partnership Forum to ensure that the group was fully aware of the views of staff about hospital car parking arrangements and charges, patient, carer and disabled representatives nominated by the Scottish Health Council, a voluntary organisation (Macmillan Cancer Support in view of their knowledge and experience through the Better Deal campaign on the cost of travel and car parking), a NHS Board Chair, an HR Director and a Director of Planning.
As well as considering the level a maximum charge should be set at, a further review will also consider the position of car parks covered by existing PFI contracts. The guidance issued today applies whether a car parking facility is provided by the NHS board or a commercial concern.
Related Information
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/Boards/HospitalCarParking/RevisedGuidance
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