Parking at hospitals: FOI release

Information requested

1. The monthly and annual costs to Scottish Government for making parking at Ninewells and Glasgow Royal Hospital free from April 2021, going forward to the purchase of the Hospital PFI car parks in Glasgow and Dundee (announced on the 24 August 2021).

2. The monthly and annual costs to Scottish Government for making parking at Edinburgh Royal Hospital free April 2021, and going forward.

3. An update on how negotiations are progressing to take over the parking site at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and when this parking lot is expected to be brought into public ownership.

4. We understand that staff working at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the Royal Hospital for Children are not allowed to park at the Little France site without a permit. How many of the 8,000 staff have been given permits?

5. We understand that staff member without a parking permit must use a park-and-ride two miles away, and have raised issues about feeling unsafe and that the current shuttle bus solution is not fit for their needs. We would like to request an update to what has been done to address these concerns.

6. Finally, we would like to request information on any planned or carried out evaluation / review / inquiry relating to the Government payments for hospital parking to private companies ahead of the purchase of the car parks.

 

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. In answer to your specific questions:

1. There are no monthly costs for Scottish Government in relation to Ninewells and Glasgow Royal Hospital. The Scottish Government bought out both car parks in the financial year 2020-21 and there were no costs for the Scottish Government from the start of the 2021-22 financial year onward.

2. We have agreed a buyout figure which reflects lost income from April 2021 until the end of the contract. Consort healthcare are considering the proposal, but have not yet reached a decision, therefore neither the Scottish Government nor NHS Lothian are incurring any monthly revenue costs at the moment as they are reflected in the buyout offer.

3. NHS Lothian is leading on the negotiations and this information would require to be requested from NHS Lothian.

4. and 5. Scottish Government expects all health boards to manage car parking to ensure effective use of available spaces and safety of all users. Specific local car parking arrangements are a matter for the health board in question and this information would require to be requested from NHS Lothian.

6. Since 2008, when free car parking was applied in non-PFI hospital car parks, we have been aware that the three PFI hospital car parks were in direct contradiction to our stated policy (CEL 1 (2008) -Revised guidance on hospital car park charging (scot.nhs.uk)). During the pandemic, we took the opportunity to end these contracts, knowing that the Scottish Government were incurring an additional cost, but it would save money for patients, visitors and staff that would use these car parks over the remaining life of these contracts. Scottish Ministers judged that the cost to fully implement our stated policy was worthwhile in order to remove barriers to accessing hospital sites.

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