Improving the parking experience at Borders General Hospital
Parking at the BGH continues to be free.
You must park in the correct parking spaces or you will receive a parking charge notice.
A parking charge notice will only be issued if you park incorrectly or stay in the designated SHORT STAY parking for more than the maximum 4 hours.
Leave adequate time to find a space, especially during busier times, such as visiting times.
If possible check where you can park before visiting the hospital.
Consider alternative transport when possible.
Why have changes been introduced?
NHS Borders has a responsibility to provide safe parking for Hospital Users. The changes made will make the free parking more accessible to patients, visitors and staff.
What changes have been introduced?
There is designated SHORT STAY (max 4 hours) and LONG STAY parking (see map) making parking spaces closer to the hospital more accessible. Parking charge notices will only be issued to incorrectly parked vehicles and to vehicles that stay in the SHORT STAY for over the maximum time of 4 hours.
I have an appointment. How will I know where to park?
Clearly marked signs for LONG STAY and SHORT STAY (MAX 4 HOURS) will direct you to where you should park.
What is incorrect parking?
Vehicles must be parked in the designated parking spaces. Incorrect parking includes parking on double yellow lines, hatched areas, painted chevrons, access roads, ambulance bays, pavements, grassed or landscaped areas and reserved bays.
What will happen if I park incorrectly?
Parking incorrectly poses a risk to others. A parking charge notice will be placed on incorrectly parked vehicles and vehicles that stay in the SHORT STAY for longer than 4 hours. The parking charge notice will be £90 payable within 28 days (£40 if paid within 14 days).
Disabled badge holder?
If you are a registered disabled badge holder and you display your valid badge, you can park in the designated disabled spaces.Time restrictions still apply to disabled badge holders.
How can I appeal my parking charge notice?
Full details on the appeals process can be found on the parking charge notice.
Frequently asked questions
1. Where will I be able to park?
Car parks 1 & 2 will be designated short stay car parks. You will be able to park in there for up to 4 hours. The other car parks will not be subject to time restrictions. All car parks will remain available to both staff and patients.
2. What happens if there are no spaces available?
NHS Borders cannot guarantee available car parking at all times, especially during busier times between Mondays to Fridays. We continue to encourage both staff and patients to find alternative transport to the BGH whenever possible. We recommend you allow plenty of time when visiting the BGH.
3. Why are you introducing this when we all know that there are inadequate numbers of car parking spaces at the BGH?
Car parking on the BGH site has seen an increase in demand over recent years in line with the additional number of patients who are seen in Out Patient department or at the Day Hospital. With the redesign of Car parks 1 & 2 we are already utilising the space we have for the highest number of cars possible, and it is still suggested that there is inadequate parking available.
One of the main reasons for these changes is to improve the safety for our patients and staff using the car park. One of the changes being introduced: creating a short stay car park will improve the availability of spaces close to the main hospital entrance. These changes should encourage those who know they will be at the BGH for more than 4 hours to use the further away car parks.
4. How are you to know if a car parked in Car Park 1 & 2 belongs to a member of the public or member of staff?
Car Parks 1 & 2 will be designated short stay car parks for all. There is no requirement for us to know if the car belongs to staff or patients.
5. How will patients know if they are going to be less or longer than 4 hours?
Patients are advised to judge how long their visit might be, depending on the type of appointment they might be attending. There is no definite answer on this; however surveys have been carried out as part of the implementation plan for these changes. These surveys identified the majority of short term parking at the BGH is less than 3 hours. The short stay car parking will be set at a 4 hour limit so on most occasions this will allow for unexpected delays. If a patient expects to be more than 4 hours, they should be advised to park their vehicle within one of the long stay car parks.
6. I am a member of staff, what happens in an emergency if I am called into work, and am unable to park correctly?
In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to leave a vehicle within an area out with a designated car parking space. Every effort should be made to relocate the vehicle, as soon as possible thereafter.
7. How can you stop me coming out and moving my car after 4 hours?
Car parks 1 & 2 will be designated short stay. All staff will be allowed to park there as long as their cars are moved to another car park before the maximum time of 4 hours. These car parks will be patrolled and parking charge notices will be issued inline with the enforcement process.
8. What happens if I am late for work because I have been unable to park?
Car parks 1 & 2 will be designated short stay. Staff are allowed to use these for up to 4 hours, only after this time will parking charges be issued. Staff are reminded that it is their responsibly to be at work, ready to start at their contracted starting time. This is the case whether you use alternative transport or use the car parking facilities. Alternative transport is available at www.travelscotland.com.
9. If I was going to the BGH for a meeting can I park in Car Park 1 & 2?
See question 1.
10. Who is going to protect the lady at the front desk when people return to their cars find out they have a fine and go back into the hospital very angry and that poor woman will be the first staff member they come to so she will probably get a lot of abuse, or maybe the RVS shop staff will as well?
The RVS staff at the main entrance of the hospital have been consulted and a risk assessment has been undertaken. All information available to the car park users will direct them to the correct contacts / groups of staff who can help them. Information/leaflets/posters will help relieve enquiries to the RVS staff.
11. Who will be enforcing this?
NHS Borders in partnership with Minster Baywatch, and member of the British Parking Association.
12. How will I know about it when I get on site?
You will hopefully know of the car parking arrangements before arriving on the BGH campus, as details will be posted within the local press, radio, posters throughout the Borders, Community Hospitals and Health Centres and with out patient appointment letters. At the site there will be a number of signs, information leaflets and messages on the flat screens in the main entrance, Out Patients and A&E. There will be regular bulletins within these different sources that will advise all Hospital users.
13. How much are the charges going to be?
The charges will be set at £90 and £40 (if paid within 14 days).
14. What will happen if I refuse to pay my charge?
The parking charge rate will increase if the charge is not paid within the given time, the details of the registered keeper will be sourced from DVLA and arrangements will be put in place to recover the debt.
15. I have been given a parking charge notice, what can I do to appeal this? What is the process? What are the criteria for an appeal to be upheld e.g. appointment running late, unexpected hospital admission?
An appeal mechanism will be established, the details of which will be included within the Parking Charge Notice. Circumstances on each appeal will be considered individually and where the contravention to the site rules may be seen to be out with the control of the driver of the parked vehicle an independent Appeals Board will uphold or dismiss.
16. Who is going to be responsible for the administration of appeals?
Minster Baywatch, however NHS Borders will retain the right to cancel Parking charge notices.
17. When does this enforcement begin?
Dates have yet to be set within an implementation plan, but these changes will begin before the end of this year.
18. How much is this system costing to plan and implement, both in terms of time (hours spent in meetings and planning) and the financial cost (salaried cost of time spent plus any additional costs)?
This project has been taken forward as NHS Borders holds a duty of care to its employees and all hospital users. The work in the redesign of the car parks and the introduction of a car parking management regime is aimed at providing safe and adequate parking and pedestrian routes throughout the campus.
19. Is an external company involved in this system? What is their involvement? Has NHS Borders paid them money and if so, how much? Does the company stand to make money from NHS Borders employees being fined?
The partnership with a third party, accredited by the British Parking Association, will permit the monitoring of the use of the BGH car parks and incorrect parking. Through this contractual arrangement access will be available to the details of the registered keeper of vehicles utilising the facilities, this through DVLA. The detail of the contract at this time is commercial and in confidence.
20. What are the ongoing costs to run and enforce this system?
Additional hours will be allocated to staff employed within the General Services Department, employment costs will in part be funded through the payment of parking charge notices.
21. Are there a projected number of parking charge notices / amount of money expected to be accrued from fines?
No, if all adhere to the site ‘rules’ there will be no income from parking charge notices.
22. What criteria was used to set the pricing for the fines?
Comparable with charges imposed locally for parking within restricted areas within town centres and for parking beyond the maximum permitted period within local retail parks etc. The proposed charges also comply with British Parking Association Codes of Practice.
23. Will the pricing of charges increase in the future?
This will be subject to review.
24. Is this about reducing inappropriate parking or creating revenue?
The aim as described above is to improve the facilities and the safety in use for all Hospital users, and by doing this reducing the number of incorrectly parked vehicles.
25. It is legal to implement such a system?
Yes, all as per The Scottish Government, Health Finance Directorate Guidance Car Park Management at NHS Scotland Healthcare sites.
26. Will unpaid fines ever be taken to a court of law?
Unpaid charges will be retrieved through civil court action.
Please contact:
BGH General Services
(t) 01896 826060