Health Minister Robin Swann seeking two-year delay to free hospital parking due to 'logistical issues' and 'current budgetary situation'

The UUP MLA will ask the Assembly to defer the measure for a two-year period due to "logistical issues" and budgetary concerns facing his department.

Parking charges are currently due to end in under two months' time following the passing of a Bill by the Stormont Assembly before it collapsed.

The Hospital Parking Charges Bill proposed scrapping charges for patients, staff and visitors at public hospital sites in the region.

The health service in Northern Ireland is facing a funding crisis and the cost of providing and maintaining the car parks is around £10m a year.

While the total removal of all charges would be deferred, car parking permits for eligible staff would be provided free of charge across the two year period.

Minister Swann stated: “The Hospital Parking Charges Act was passed by the Assembly in 2022 for the best of intentions. I was, and remain, entirely supportive of those intentions.

"However, there are logistical issues that make the planned May 2024 starting date for free parking unfeasible. HSC Trusts have advised that the infrastructure required to manage free parking cannot be in place in time. This is due to legal challenges delaying a contract for Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.

"As a result, the intended traffic management solution will not be operational by 12 May. In its absence, Trusts would have significant concerns about their ability to maintain safe access to their sites for patients, clients, visitors and staff. Preserving blue light routes would be a particular concern.

“In addition, it is unfortunately the case that the financial position for our health service has deteriorated in the past two years. A blanket removal of all charges would result in loss of income, resulting in £10m in costs per year in total to control access and maintain car parks.

“My primary concern as Minister is to protect access to hospitals for legitimate users. Free parking without traffic management could very quickly lead to a free-for-all, with serious consequences for traffic not just in hospital sites but in surrounding areas.”

The Assembly will be asked to agree to the deferral by accelerated passage, reflecting the looming starting date.

Mr Swann added: “It is widely agreed that the current budgetary situation will require difficult decisions by the Executive and Assembly. Deferring the introduction of free hospital parking certainly falls into that category.”

A TUV spokesperson said: “The Bill which introduced free hospital car parking was one of a number of populist measures rushed through in the dying days of the last Assembly without any thought for the financial ramifications.

“We are therefore not surprised that the Executive, which after all has no fiscal raising powers, has found itself in this position.”

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said the Health Minister must quickly explain the decision to delay to scrap hospital parking charges.

He wrote in a statement: “Forcing health workers and patients to pay for car parking for another two years is unacceptable.

"The Minister must meet with trade unions to explain why their members in the health service will continue to be penalised by the government for turning up at work.”