Disabled outpatients visiting the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland, since the beginning of August, are receiving a free Hospital Mobility service set up by parking operator Vinci Park. Developed as part of an ongoing partnership with NHS Tayside, this initiative is a first for a UK parking company and an NHS hospital.
The Mobility Office, protected by an alarm and CCTV coverage, is on the ground-floor level of Ninewells Hospital car park No. 7, which is designated for exclusive use by disabled parkers. Designed by local architects Gaudie Wright & Partners (GWP) and constructed by local firm Alexander Oastler Ltd, it is highly visible to hospital patients and staff, with a structure consisting largely of glazed panels and a high level of internal illumination.
The new service is the result of an agreement between Vinci Park and NHS Tayside to implement free parking permits for outpatients needing frequent visits for long-term treatment and relatives on compassionate grounds. The initiative came from an independently chaired working party responsible for reviewing car parking at the hospital, where Vinci Park has managed the contract since 2003.
The Scheme offers 2,800 free parking permits per month for the use of outpatients such as cancer and renal patients. The agreement is a result of the additional income generated from the introduction of charges for disabled drivers as a measure to protect the reserved disabled parking bays from regular abuse by non-disabled drivers. It was agreed at the outset that any additional income should be re-invested to improve access for patients.
