NHS Boards will not be able to charge more than three pounds a day for hospital car parking, it was announced today.

The principle of a maximum charge was recommended by the review group set up to look at the guidance governing car parking charges, although it said that further analysis was needed to determine the appropriate level of maximum charge.

The review group also said that car parking charges should only be introduced when other measures to manage car parking pressures were unsuccessful.

New guidance will be issued to NHS Boards early in the New Year. As well as the issue of maximum daily charges, the guidance will cover the criteria to be used by Boards in allocating staff permits and the need for Boards to consider circumstances at individual hospital sites rather than applying uniform policies.

Announcing the cap on charges, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"The Review Group has found that the cost of car parking can be too high for staff on lower wages, for patients and for visitors and that a maximum charge should be set - but that further work is needed on what that maximum charge should be.

"That work will be done, but in order to provide protection against unnecessary or excessive charges in the meantime, I have decided to act now to introduce a cap of £3 a day.

"I also agree with the review group that car parking charges should be a last resort, introduced only when other measures to manage parking pressures have failed. In other words, the presumption is that car parking should be provided free - as indeed it already is at the vast majority of Scottish hospitals.

"However, the review group recognised - as I do - that charges are necessary in some circumstances. In these cases, it is important that patients and staff are treated fairly and do not face excessive charges.

"I believe that a £3 a day cap strikes the right balance between the pressures faced by Boards and the interests of patients and staff."

The remit of the review group was "To review existing guidance on car parking and arrangements for car parking charging, with an emphasis on the impact of staff, particularly lower paid staff, and offer views on how guidance or schemes might be amended to safeguard access for patients, and ensure equitable treatment for staff who have specific transport needs."

The Review Group comprised representatives from the Scottish Partnership Forum to ensure that the group was fully aware of the views of staff about hospital car parking arrangements and charges, patient, carer and disabled representatives nominated by the Scottish Health Council, a voluntary organisation (Macmillan Cancer Support in view of their knowledge and experience through the Better Deal campaign on the cost of travel and car parking), a NHS Board Chair, an HR Director and a Director of Planning

The review group concluded that:

• NHS Boards should provide car parking free of charge. However, when other measures put in place to manage car parking pressures are unsuccessful, Boards may charge for car parking facilities
• Charges must not be introduced solely as a means of generating income

The Group Recommended that:

• All NHS Boards who have car parking charges in place should be required to review their schemes in the light of the principles and criteria set out in the report
• Boards must take all reasonable steps to ensure that charges for people working at or visiting a hospital are not excessive
• The Group would have liked to set a maximum charge for car parking at hospital sites, but that further work is required to determine the appropriate level of maximum charge

The Review Group's report and revised guidance will be issued in the New Year.