Axing hospital parking charges will cost £950k

A scheme to provide temporary free parking for staff and visitors at three Scottish hospitals will cost taxpayers almost £1 million over three months, it has been revealed.

Charges at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Royal Infirmary will halt from Monday until the end of June.

The Scottish Government expects the cost to amount to £950,000.

It is understood the fee will cover costs such as debt servicing but officials would not provide a further breakdown.

The three are Scotland’s only NHS hospitals where parking is still ticketed – a system run by private firm SABA.

Charges elsewhere were scrapped 12 years ago but the government has previously said the cost of getting out of private finance initiative (PFI) deals set up under the previous administration at Holyrood is too high.

North East Conservative MSP Bill Bowman called the £950,000 sum “eye watering” and said it “raised questions about how much it really costs to operate a hospital car park”.

“The taxpayer may now pay a large chunk of what it would cost to end the contract,” he said.

“It’s a shame it took a global pandemic to begin discussing the end of paid parking at Ninewells. Free parking for our brave NHS staff is a good start.”

SABA has a contract until 2028. Richard Marsh, a former adviser to the Scottish Government claimed last year that withdrawing from the Ninewells parking contract could cost as little as £800,000.

His calculations, were based on documents filed with Companies House in 2017. The Scottish Government did not dispute the figures at the time.

Dundee-based Labour MSP Jenny Marra said: “The suspension of car park charges at Ninewells and other hospitals is the right move.

“It will be a welcome relief to hard working NHS staff as they respond to an unprecedented crisis.”

Announcing the removal of fees earlier this week, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We cannot have barriers to staff working in the NHS.

“So from Monday car parking charges will be removed from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for the next three months.”

Meanwhile, Angus Council has suspended its controversial parking charges for the time being. Bosses said it would free up community enforcement staff to support the delivery of vital services.