Parking charges cut for nurses

We all owe those working hard in our Scottish NHS a huge debt of gratitude as they work to save lives and help patients during the coronavirus outbreak.

The fact that NHS staff have to pay £7.20 each day to park at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has been an unacceptable situation for too long with hospital staff being charged up to £1,500 a year to park at their work.

Since I was elected three years ago, I have been campaigning for SNP Ministers to act and for charges for hospital staff parking at all hospitals to be removed.

Last week I again raised the issue with Nicola Sturgeon at

First Minister’s Questions and called for action especially during the coronavirus public health emergency. I am pleased that an agreement has now been reached to suspend parking charges at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, as well as hospitals in Dundee and Glasgow, for the next three months. Edinburgh City Council is also suspending restrictions on parking bays round the hospital.

Our amazing NHS staff shouldn’t have to pay to park at work at the best of times and they deserve no less as they put themselves on the front line of the public health crisis. Scottish Conservatives will continue to campaign to have the parking charges scrapped completely after the three month suspension period ends.

There will be a lot we will all need to do to support our NHS staff in the coming days and weeks.

This must be just the start.