21st
January 2008
McNeil
Demands IRH Car Parking Guidance Guarantee
MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan
McNeil, is demanding a guarantee that new guidance finishes for good any chance
of hospital car parking charges being rolled out to cover Inverclyde Royal
Hospital.
Revised
guidance issued by the Scottish Government on Friday (18th January), says it is
not acceptable for health boards to impose blanket charges and conditions at
different hospitals.
In
a letter to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chief Executive, Tom Divers, Mr McNeil
therefore seeks an assurance that: “the prohibition … on schemes which impose uniform charges
and conditions across a number of sites will require the withdrawal of the
board’s current plans”.
“Further,”
he continues, “am I correct to assume that this will guarantee that the
current car park charging scheme cannot now be rolled out to cover Inverclyde
Royal Hospital?”
Mr
McNeil added:
“In
addition, I would welcome your comments on how NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
foresees meeting the requirement, also set out in the guidance, that boards
should not look at parking management in isolation, but should consider wider
travel and access issues.”
Mr
McNeil told the Telegraph:
“We
need to find out exactly what this guidance means for us.
By my reading, the board’s plans for the IRH are dead in the water, but
I want a guarantee to that effect.
“Also,
even if charges are not imposed at the IRH, we will still be subject to them
when we travel to access specialist services in Glasgow.
I have therefore sought clarification over exactly what this new guidance
will mean for other hospital sites in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.”
ENDS
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