The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Park-and-ride option being considered for Ninewells
NHS says research being done but there is no ‘immediate solution’
NHS Tayside is researching park-andride options as part of a possible solution to ongoing issues at Ninewells Hospital.
However, the board admitted it did not have an “immediate solution” to car parking problems.
Nearby residents have repeatedly complained of streets becoming an “overflow car park” due to lack of capacity in the hospital’s grounds, while staff have said they struggle to find a space or cannot afford the price of the parking permits.
Following concerns raised by North East Conservative MSP Bill Bowman, chief operating officer Lorna Wiggin responded with assurances the board seeks to “manage available car parking as well as possible”.
This includes the possibility of a parkand-ride facility being set up in the future but no short-term solution has been proposed.
Indigo Park Services Limited, the company that operates the car park, is still silent on whether parking charges will be raised next month.
Mr Bowman said: “Much has been made of a travel plan to reduce the number of car journeys taken to and from the hospital.
“As more and more services come to Dundee, for example acute adult admissions in mental health from Angus, I would suggest that this is optimistic.”
Dundee West End councillor Fraser Macpherson said he would welcome park-and-ride as a “long-term” solution.
He called on NHS Tayside bosses to confirm a date for an urgent meeting regarding short-term action.
Mr Macpherson said: “There are two main issues – the cost of parking and the increase in visitors due to a lot of services being centralised, which has created capacity problems.
“I would certainly be open to the idea of a park-and-ride facility, as long as it does not have a negative impact on the local environment.
“That is more of a long-term solution though – what we need is short-term action, as soon as possible.”
Ms Wiggin’s stated in a letter that colleagues within NHS Tayside had been tasked with researching how other health boards manage park-and-ride facilities, and the potential implications for implementing such a scheme.
The letter added: “NHS Tayside is continuing to engage and work with Indigo, the local authority, travel planning and public transport organisations to ensure all options are explored to address the issues.
“The travel plan includes actions to enable and encourage access to the site by public transport, walking and cycling; increased use of these choices reduces demand for parking at lower cost than providing more parking spaces.”