Hospital car park issues hitting staff and patients in NI

Car parking at most of Northern Ireland's hospitals has become too costly and gridlocked due to a shortage of spaces.

Unite, one of the largest health unions, said some lowest-paid members spent up to £40 per week on fees.

People attending appointments or visiting have also said they were often late or had time with loved ones cut short because of parking issues.

Car parking charges at health sites are set to be scrapped from next May.

However there are no plans to build additional car parks, except at two hospitals - Antrim Area and South West Acute.

The Department of Health (DoH) said the move will mean a loss of revenue of about £10m per year.

There is also concern the system will be abused by the public who will use free car parking for personal use.

BBC News NI asked the Department of Health and the health trusts for interviews but none were given.

'Hospital parking is a real struggle'

For the last six years Suzanne Simpson has been regularly attending the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children with her daughter, who has a skin condition.

She described the parking situation as a "real struggle".

With appointments once every three months, both Suzanne and her husband will take annual leave to make sure Cora can get to her appointment with no issues.

Suzanne and Stephen Simpson, say parking is so difficult they both have to be there to attend their daughter's appointments

One parent will go into the hospital with Cora, and the other waiting for a parking space to become available.

"For us, it's about being able to be there on time," she told BBC News NI.

"It's untenable for just one parent to go in with her.

"It's making an already stressful situation already more heightened."

Suzanne hopes in the future that her husband can also attend Cora's appointments. She said not having him there is "painful".

"We work really well in a partnership," she added.

"For us both to be in the appointments… that is so valuable and right now, we physically cannot do that."

What are patients and staff saying?

Over two days at the start of November, BBC News NI filmed across the five trusts, where despite it being schools' midterm break with reduced traffic, there were still queues and demand for spaces.

They were longest at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH), where one patient said he was often late for appointments and had received texts about being fined for not turning up.

Another woman said she had missed her son's appointments at the Royal after failing to find a parking space.

Long queues for parking can often be observed at busy periods at the Royal Victoria Hospital

At the Ulster Hospital, one woman, who was visiting her 93-year-old father, told BBC News NI that her visit is often cut short because of time spent circling for a parking space.

Staff also face parking issues - while they get free parking in some trusts, the shortage of spaces means they may have to pay to use public spaces in order to get to work on time.

Other trusts and hospital sites require staff to pay for parking.

A technician who works at the RVH told BBC News NI he has been on the waiting list for a staff parking permit for six years.

"I have to use my personal vehicle as part of my job. I'm using the public car park, which is then causing a backlog. I think it's going to get worse," he said.

At the Ulster Hospital, the recent expansion of services has increased car parking pressure at the site, according to independent assembly member Alex Easton.

"Staff shouldn't have to pay to go to work, that should be a fundamental right, and neither should patients," he said.

"The trusts need to plan better for their expansions and that includes having proper car parking spaces."

To facilitate staff, the South Eastern Trust operates a regular free 10-minute shuttle bus to the Ulster Hospital from a nearby carpark.

How do the car parks operate?

How the car parks are run and what they charge can vary from trust to trust.

Parking fees for the public at trust sites vary from 40p for 70 minutes in the Southern Trust to £1.60 for an hour at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Some staff can currently park for free on most hospital sites but spaces are limited, with visitors given priority.

At the Royal Victoria Hospital, an annual staff parking permit costs up to £17.20 per month (£206.40 annually) and there is a waiting list.

The Western Trust said parking is free for staff on its sites.

In the Northern, Southern and South Eastern trusts, where free parking is not available, there are a limited number of monthly staff permits for £30 a month.

What is being done about hospital parking?

The Hospital Parking Charges Bill (2022) proposed that car parking charges should be abolished for patients, staff and visitors at public hospital sites in Northern Ireland.

An online consultation on the bill's proposals in 2021 received more than 800 respondents, with indications that many were from staff, unions or patient groups.

Most were in favour of abolishing charges.

Brenda Stevenson, a regional officer for Unite, said the union welcomed the scrapping of charges as many workers just cannot afford to pay them.

"This is a good move and will give workers more disposable income, especially as they cope with the cost-of-living crisis they'll have more money in their pockets," she said.

However there are concerns - at the moment, outside of Antrim Area Hospital and the South West Acute Hospital, there are no plans for additional car parking at hospitals across Northern Ireland, so a chronic lack of spaces will continue to be an issue.

Staff should not have to pay to go to work, said assembly member Alex Easton

The Department of Health also said the lost revenue from the charges and ongoing car park maintenance will result in a loss of about £10m per year to the day-to-day health budget.

"Costs incurred in ending parking charges will mean there will be less money to spend on other health and social care services," it continued.

"In addition, capital funding in the region of £5.7m will be required in 2023/24 for infrastructure to control parking, preserve blue light routes and protect designated spaces within hospital estates.

"There are also concerns that increased demand as a result of free parking provision will increase pressure for spaces at hospitals - pressure that is already significant at a number of sites."

Despite the changes not being due to come into effect until May next year, the department said it has been instructed by the Northern Ireland secretary to plan a public consultation on whether to reintroduce the charges.