Nurses have hailed a “victory for common sense” as NHS Tayside chiefs agreed to a radical overhaul of staff parking arrangements at Perth Royal Infirmary.
The sweeping changes were announced after The Courier revealed that staff were being hit with frequent fines while they were working.
NHS Tayside chief operating officer Gerry Marr admitted the situation was “simply not right” and pledged there is “no way” staff will be hit with unfair fines in the future.
Some nurses have been left owing several hundred pounds as zealous wardens regularly pounce on cars belonging to staff members despite the removal of charges from the hospital’s car parks.
After The Courier highlighted the nurses’ plight, action was quickly taken.Not rightMr Marr said, “We recognise that it is simply not right that staff are receiving parking fines if they are delayed while carrying out their duties.
“We also accept that the eight-hour ticket system at PRI is not appropriate and does not meet the needs of some of our vital members of staff.
“That is why we will now be extending the eight-hour ticket to a nine-hour ticket in the next couple of weeks to take into account the sometimes unpredictable nature of staff working hours.”
Mr Marr also suggested that nurses hit with fines while at work may be eligible for a refund.
“Common sense must prevail here and we will ensure that there is a reliable system in place so that when any member of staff comes to his or her work and is delayed in finishing their shift, there is no way that they will be issued with a parking fine,” he said.
“I would also like to say that if any member of staff has been issued with a ticket as a result of being delayed at work we would ask them to contact the PRI site manager Mr Mark Scholes, who will review the parking fine with them, take account of the individual circumstances and cancel the fine where this is considered appropriate.”
He admitted there had been teething problems associated with the recent introduction of free parking at PRI.Challenge”I am sure everyone would agree that ensuring that we can balance the car parking needs of staff, patients and visitors is a challenge for us,” he added.
“We have worked hard to improve access for patients, visitors and staff and we will continue to monitor the arrangements closely in partnership with staff side representatives to make sure we have the best solution for all car park users.”
One PRI nurse approached by The Courier welcomed Mr Marr’s statement.
“This issue has been a real bugbear for staff so it is great that is finally being tackled,” she said.
“It is a bit of a shame that is seems to have taken a story in the paper to prompt some positive action but at least it is moving forward.
“It is certainly a victory for common sense and a lot of staff members will be very relieved about this.”