Ninewells Hospital parking charges to rise
Patients and visitors turning up at Ninewells Hospital are to need extra change in their wallets and purses.
- By Marjory Inglis, health reporter
- Published in the Courier : 09.11.10
- Published online : 09.11.10 @ 01.35pm
On December 1 the parking charge at Tayside's largest acute hospital is to rise — up 10p to £1.80 per visit.
A pensioners' representative has warned the price hike will have the biggest impact on elderly people.
The majority of patients admitted to Ninewells are senior citizens and many of their partners and friends are managing on a pension.
"This is a disgrace when there is free car parking at hospitals elsewhere in Scotland," said John McAllion, former MSP and MP and now an executive committee member on Dundee Pensioners Forum.
"Older people are a large proportion of people in hospitals and their husbands and wives will be visiting.
"This is an extra burden for them."
NHS Tayside referred inquiries to Vinci Park, the private company contracted to run the hospital's car parks.
The Scottish Government banned charging at Scotland's hospitals at the end of December 2008, with the exception of a handful of hospitals, including Ninewells, which were tied in to lengthy private finance deals.
There was pressure on Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to negotiate a buy-out of the contracts in the major city hospitals but she said it would cost millions of pounds.
In Dundee a buy-out was not an option after Vinci Park made clear to NHS Tayside it was not interested in negotiating an end to the contract.
A previous hospital management team entered into a 30-year deal with a subsidiary of Fiat that gave the private company the right to make charges in all hospital car parks after they built the multi-storey car park on the Ninewells site at no cost to the NHS.
However, as part of the deal NHS Tayside gets 5% of the annual income or £50,000, whichever is the greater.
The private company holding the car park contract has changed since the multi-storey was completed in 1999 but the successor still has the right to seek an annual review of car park charges.
Price hikes are linked to inflation and there has been no increase for the last couple of years.
02.20pm - 09.11.2010 Vinci Boycotter - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Yet again the staff and visitors of Ninewells are victims of bureaucracy! Why not just make it £2 as that's what most pay seeing as the machines don't give change! If NHS Tayside make 5% per year then why don't they pay this back to subsidies the annual price rise?
02.24pm - 09.11.2010 Daz Hales - Koblenz, Germany Report This
Just who were the idiots in power that sacrificed patients and staff back in 1999. Sturgeon should pay the money to secure the future.
04.06pm - 09.11.2010 Join Me - Dundee, Scotland Report This
I ceased lining Vinci's pockets the day it was revealed other Scottish Hospitals had abolished parking charges. As a result I'm saving over £280 per year and my car no longer gets scratched by the so called drivers who park there. Others should take note ;)
07.22pm - 09.11.2010 Jamie - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Its easy. Don't pay. Vinci park with place and invoice on your car which you can then safely ignore and after a few nasty letters will give up writing to you.
08.28pm - 09.11.2010 sarah - Dundee, Scotland Report This
What about the staff?????? I have to pay to go to work? It's another tax!!! Come on someone where help us!!!
08.41pm - 09.11.2010 Iain S Cattanach - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Why were there no termination clauses included in the Invitation To Tender contract for car parking services at Ninewells and will the people responsible for procurement and/or law and administration within the contracting authority be held accountable for not considering such clauses?
08.51pm - 09.11.2010 Tok'ra - Broughty Ferry, Scotland Report This
I work at Ninewells and need to take my car as I use it to visit patients during the day and I still have to pay the parking charges (over £300 a year!). In effect Ninewells are charging me to do my job as they take a cut from the charges.
08.04am - 10.11.2010 Muscleguy - Broughty Ferry, Scotland Report This
@Vinci Boycotter<br />The machines in Carpark 9 do give change. Be nice if they took notes and/or cards, but they do give change.
10.09am - 10.11.2010 Vinci Boycotter - Dundee, Scotland Report This
@Muscleguy I am aware of this but the car parks I "used" to use do not give change. Either way it's not going to lure me back! I enjoy the short walks before and after my shifts, it's nice to get some fresh air into my lungs after 12hrs in lock down! Join me for a walk, we can skip in together?
10.09am - 10.11.2010 T. Butchers - Dundee, uk Report This
Try parking if you work in the city centre at £1.90 a day. Bargain!!!
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