Groundswell of anger over parking charge plan at ERI

Published on Saturday 20 February 2010 10:16

PLANS to charge visitors to use a new car park at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary are to be raised with the Scottish Government, after coming under fire from union members and MSPs.

The Evening News revealed yesterday that NHS Lothian will be turning over management of the new 1,176 space car park planned for the Little France site to private company Consort.

The proposed new car park, which is still to be approved by the city council, will replace the 800 spaces being lost through the development of the new Royal Hospital for Sick Children, which is being built on the site of the Royal Infirmary's existing Car Park B.

It is thought to be exempt from Scottish Government guidelines which state all NHS car parks should be free of charge, as it is covered by the original PFI agreement between NHS Lothian and Consort.

Concerns have been raised about the proposal, however, with union leaders planning to ask the government for clarification on exactly why there will be charges of up to 7-a-day at the new car park, which is being developed by NHS Lothian.

There is also concern that the new car park will allow Consort to make money from an extra 376 spaces, due to the expanded size of the development, and that no measures have yet been announced to provide free parking for parents staying overnight at the new Sick Kids hospital.

The decision to charge for use of the car park was branded "completely unacceptable" by Labour MSP Paul Martin.

And Tom Waterson, Unison's Lothian branch chairman, said the decision not to provide free parking was one which would anger staff at the hospital.

"It is really disappointing to hear that Consort will again be hiving off money not just from the public visitors but from staff as well, and staff will be angry about this, particularly with parking at other NHS sites around Scotland now being free," he said.

"We will be contacting the cabinet secretary for health about this decision to try and clarify how it is that charges will still be allowed and whether another exemption has been agreed. As this car park is being developed by NHS Lothian, on publicly-owned land, it makes no sense that it be handed over to a private company so they can make money from it."

And Lothians MSP and former GP Dr Ian McKee also pledged to investigate the charges.

He said: "It could be that there is a long-standing legal agreement with Consort for use of the land, and, if that is the case, then there isn't anything that can be done.

"If, however, that is not the case and this is land being purchased by the NHS, then I do not see how they can charge for parking."

NHS Lothian said it could not comment on whether any of the additional money made from the extra spaces would be put back into local health services, or whether any steps would be taken to provide free or reduced parking for overnight visitors, saying that Consort would be in charge of setting charges and that these were details which would have to be looked at over the coming two years.

John Jack, director of facilities at NHS Lothian, said: "As the new car park is a replacement for part of the existing parking provision, it will be operated and managed by PFI provider Consort and they are responsible for the charges."