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The Scottish Government has announced that car parking charges are to be scrapped at 14 hospitals across the country, although charges will still apply at three of Scotland’s biggest hospitals.
The move follows a review of the car parking policies of NHS boards, where a temporary cap of GBP3 a day on parking charges has been in place since January.
The decision was announced by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who said: “It’s simply not fair to expect patients or visitors to have to pay when they come to hospital, when they may be suffering personal anxiety, stress or grief.”
“Put bluntly, a car parking charge is often the last thing people need.”
Staff and visitors in particular have voiced their dislike of parking charges, but some health boards have argued that they need to take measures to stop commuters who have no connection with the hospital leaving their cars there all day.
The charges at the 14 hospitals will be scrapped on December 31, although car parks built under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and Ninewells Hospital in Dundee will not be affected.
Copyright PA Business 2008
