Union puts pressure on NHS Grampian to find a solution to car parking problems at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
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Unison has puts pressure on NHS Grampian to find a solution to car parking problems for staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after it was revealed health workers arrive at the Foresterhill site hours before their shifts start just so they can secure a space.
During the pandemic, hospital staff were given temporary permission to park in the upper three floors of the £10 million Lady Helen car park.
Under previous planning rules, only patients and visitors were allowed to use the 13-storey facility.
But regional organiser Simon Watson revealed Unison is calling for the health board to look at the facility’s planning documents as staff have” gotten used” to using the car park.
Mr Watson, who is also an Aberdeen Labour councillor, even admitted that many employees “rely on it a lot now”.
Unison launched a petition in July to hear how staff felt about the parking situation, after it was rumoured the multi-storey would be closed to staff from August.
It received 708 responses, raising multiple concerns including “insufficient and unreliable” bus services and safety worries for female staff.
Feedback also noted a lack of parking around the site could stop people picking up extra shifts, while it could even cause some to leave the NHS altogether.
And, it was also said that reduced spaces would lead to a “significant” increase in stress on tired staff members who already face 12 hour shifts.
Unison has been continuing to push NHS Grampian on the matter while spreading the word about it in a bid to find a solution.
Unison has been pressing NHS Grampian on the problems – and took the fight to Holyrood last week.
North-east Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba and SNP Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman are understood to have raised the matter with health chiefs.
Unison also launched a second petition which has gathered thousands of signatures.
Simon revealed that Unison members are planning to hand it over to NHS chief executive Caroline Hiscox soon.
The petition is asking NHS Grampian to look at revising the multi-storey planning permission as members believe that would prevent “massive problems”.
Meanwhile, the NHS launched its own staff survey in August, asking employees to have their say on future options for managing staff car parking at ARI.
More than 2000 workers had their say on the situation which has been plaguing the site for years.
Feedback from the survey included more than 1000 “very detailed” replies.
These will now be combed through in a bid to provide a long-term solution.
But Simon said the survey was only issued to staff at ARI, something he described as “a little bit problematic”.
He explained: “Obviously there’s the Children’s Hospital, the Maternity hospital, and there’s other people on site that use it as well who would be classed as NHS staff, so it was a little bit narrow.
“But what they were asking is, ‘how should we look at our parking permit scheme?’
“They weren’t going to be looking in any way to continue to provide these spaces, they’re just basically saying there’s going to be fewer spaces.”
The staff survey was raised at a recent NHS Grampian board meeting.
Deputy chief executive, Dr Adam Coldwells, confirmed that the temporary move to allow staff to park in the multi-storey car park was still in place.
But he confessed that conversations on the matter are currently being held “appropriately and behind closed doors” at the moment.
He added: “Please be assured that we are absolutely working with partners and doing everything we can to not have parking as an issue.
“We’ve had a great position for a while and we’re trying to make sure we can sustain a really positive approach to parking for staff at Foresterhill.
Dr Coldwells told the board that an update would be provided as soon as possible.
