The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Call for action over Ninewells parking
Scottish Government accused of ‘washing its hands’
A Dundee councillor has accused the Scottish Government of “washing its hands” over parking problems at Ninewells Hospital.
Outpatients and visitors have complained about the high cost of parking, unfair penalties and a lack of a spaces.
It is one of only three hospitals in the country which still has parking charges because of a Private Finance Initiative the heath board has with parking firm Indigo to run the car park on its behalf.
Under terms of the deal, NHS Tayside receives revenue from the operators each year.
A freedom of information request has revealed the amount paid to the health board doubled after 15 years of the contract – raising fears Indigo could increase charges to compensate.
Prices went up from £2.10 to £2.20 last November.
The sum received by NHS Tayside went from £90,224.91 in 2013/14 to more than £180,000 per year in subsequent years.
West End Liberal Democrat councillor Fraser Macpherson has now said that while the rise in revenue for the cash-strapped health board is welcome, the Scottish Government must take action to address parking issues.
It vowed to abolish parking fees at hospitals following its election in 2007 but said it was too expensive to buy out PFI contracts at hospitals like Ninewells.
Mr Macpherson said: “I think the Scottish Government just basically washed their hands of the whole thing.
“It’s now time for a proper dialogue between the Scottish Government and NHS Tayside as the situation is far from satisfactory.
“There was a commitment by the current Scottish Government to abolish the charges right across Scotland but they failed to do that.
“Indigo themselves are obviously making a significant profit from the service they are providing but I have always had concerns about the situation. Parking charges continue to increase while I regularly receive complaints from visitors and outpatients due to the costs they face.”
Mr Macpherson added the car park is also unable to cope with demand for spaces at peak times.
“Between the charges and capacity there is an impact on residential streets around the hospital.”
Dundee City Council is introducing waiting time restrictions in Kinloch Park to stop people parking there when working at or visiting Ninewells.
Health secretary Shona Robison: “I would like to be able to scrap car park charges at Ninewells but it is one of three car parks which are locked into long-term expensive PFI contracts which precede this government.
“I have previously raised concerns about apparent moves to increase these charges and called on the company involved to reconsider.”