Labour MSP Joins Protest Against Parking Charges

A Labour MSP has joined hundreds of union members to protest over parking fines issued to hospital staff.
Paul Martin was at the Southern General in Glasgow on Saturday afternoon to raise the issue.

The Glasgow Springburn MSP has put forward proposals for a Member's Bill, which would make it illegal for health boards to charge people using their car Parking fees at most Scottish hospitals were scrapped last year, but three PFI hospitals - Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Dundee's Ninewells Hospital, still charge. In Glasgow, people can only park at the city's other hospitals for free for up to four hours.

Mr Martin was joined by around 300 union members to campaign against the £40 fines being imposed on hospital staff should they exceed the limit. There were representatives from a range of unions at the site, including Unite, Unison, GMB and the RCN union.

Mr Martin said: "I am pleased to support health workers in this campaign. There is real support among the staff to scrap this four-hour maximum period.

"It defies common sense that NHS staff doing a vitally important job should be fined £40 for leaving their car in a hospital car park.

"Nurses working night shift should not be forced to park in back streets for fear of being fined if they exceed the four-hour time limit in a hospital car park."

The NHS Parking (Scotland) Bill aims to ban health boards from charging patients, visitors and staff for parking on NHS sites. If passed it would place a legal requirement on health boards to ensure there are "reasonable free and well-managed car parking facilities for all those who need to access NHS sites".

NHS boards would also be banned from putting a limit on the time people parking their vehicles legitimately can stay there for.