Hospital parking charges are set to end permanently in Glasgow.
The Scottish Government has reached an agreement to buy out car parks operated through PFI (private finance initiative) schemes.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will take over the PFI car park at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after being given funding to complete the buyout for £26.3 million.
All hospital car parks in the city will now be controlled by the health board and managed in line with government policy that car parking at NHS hospitals should be free for patients, staff, and visitors.
Parking charges have been suspended at the three hospital PFI facilities since the start of the pandemic. The agreements to take the car parks into public hands will mean this becomes permanent.
The Scottish Government also reached an agreement to take over the PFI car park contract at Ninewells in Dundee for £9million.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Director of Facilities and Estates, Tom Steele said: “We have been working closely with Scottish Government colleagues to remove parking charges for staff, patients and visitors from all of our hospital sites.
“It has been an aim of NHSGGC for some time that our staff can come to work and not be charged to use the parking facilities, so I am really pleased that this work has now concluded and we are able to offer free parking to all staff working at each of our hospitals as well as patients who will be attending to receive treatment and their loved ones who visit them.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf added: "I am delighted to announce that these facilities will come into public hands and help phase out the legacy of PFI in hospital car parks in Scotland.
"We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our NHS workforce for their heroic efforts throughout the pandemic and this will ensure that, along with patients and visitors using our hospitals, they will not face the prospect of parking charges returning.
"There are no car parking charges in place at any hospitals after this Scottish Government secured an arrangement to suspend these at the three PFI sites at the start of the pandemic. Charges at other NHS car parks had already been abolished by this Government.
"This announcement shows we are determined to ensure they will not return at any PFI site in Scotland. Talks are progressing well with the owners of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh site and I am hopeful of reaching an agreement in due course. As this progresses we will be keeping the car park at the hospital free while the final agreement is reached."
