Parking fees still out at Ninewells

CAR parking charges at Ninewells Hospital are to remain suspended until further notice.

It comes almost a year to the day after the pandemic saw charging halted at the Dundee hospital.

Health secretary Jeane Freeman made the announcement yesterday.

Ninewells is one of only three NHS hospitals in Scotland still ticketed by private firm Saba.

But visitors have been reminded of rules which apply to the hospital’s car parks.

Car park 5 is for patients and visitors only and has a four-hour time limit.

Car parks 1, 2, 6, 9 and the multistorey car park are free for all staff, patients and visitors.

Car parks 3 and 4, the underground car park and School of Nursing car park, are for permit holders only.

Ninewells staff have been reminded they must not park in patient-only car parks including A&E, the renal dialysis unit, East Block and Westgate Health Centre.

Disabled parking spaces are for blue badge holders only.

Operators Saba will continue to manage car parking on site to ensure patients, staff and visitors continue to park safely and appropriately.

Ms Freeman said: “Last year I wrote to the car park providers at these hospitals urging them to suspend car parking charges for staff, visitors and patients for at least the duration that NHS Scotland remained on an emergency footing, and this arrangement was subsequently extended until March 2021.

“As we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m pleased to confirm that these free car parking arrangements will remain in place to help those who use and work for our NHS and I am confident in our progress towards a long term solution on the issue of car parking charges.” Free parking was also continued at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Ms Freeman said.

They are the only three hospitals in Scotland that still require payment since 2008, as they are run by private operators.

The three car parks were built under long-term private finance initiative (PFI) projects.

Under PFI, contractors pay for the construction costs and then rent the finished project back to the public sector.

This allows the government to get new hospitals, schools and prisons without raising taxes.