MSP makes plea for staff parking
Almost 400 on waiting list for permit
An MSP wants more done to ensure additional parking spaces are available for staff at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
Almost 3000 parking permits are being issued to staff for the site, near Larbert, even though there are only 1981 spaces available there.
But no fewer than 383 people who work at the 860-bed hospital – which opened in 2010 at a cost of £300 million – are on the waiting list for a permit.
Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Dean Lockhart said some staff face daily struggles to find a place to park even though the hospital was built at an out-of-town location where more space should be available for parking.
He has called for for Scottish Government to conduct a national review on parking for staff, visitors and patients at hospitals.
He added: “I am constantly being contacted about just how hard it is to get parked at FVRH.
“Increasingly I hear from medical professionals who tell me on too many occasions they are driving around looking for parking spaces when patients are waiting to see them in clinics.”
And he added: “It’s all very well encouraging staff to find greener ways to get to work but the priority has to be making it easy for them to get to work conveniently and on time.”
During peak hours (Monday to Friday, 6am to 4pm), patients can park on the site for up to four hours with no return within two hours, although special arrangements are made for those whose treatment lasts longer or whose treatment is delayed through no fault of theirs
A spokesman for NHS Forth Valley said 2,800 permits had been issued to staff at FVRH following an evaluation system which takes into account access to public transport, shift patterns and the requirement to travel across different sites.
Although all staff can apply for a permit, bosses admit it is not possible to issue one to every staff member who submits an application. Priority is given to staff who require them most.
The spokesperson said there were car parks set aside for patients and visitors, adding: “The number of parking spaces allowed on the hospital site is determined by (Falkirk Council) who set a limit to help reduce congestion and support green travel plans.
“However, since the hospital opened NHS Forth Valley has successfully applied to the council to increase parking on the site on two separate occasions and the level of car parking now available is higher than the total number of spaces available on the previous Falkirk and Stirling Infirmary sites.”
The Scottish Government insist parking is a matter for individual health boards to consider taking into account the needs of patients, staff and visitors.
“The Scottish Government abolished car park fees at a number of hospitals in December 2008 – a move which has saved patients, visitors and staff around £32million,” added a spokesperson.
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