AQW 12112/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the criteria used to allocate car parking passes at the Royal Victoria Hospital, particularly for doctors and other staff who work in multiple sites.
Asked by Kate Nicholl MLA on 17 May 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 17 May 2024
- Answer due by
- 4 June 2024
- Answered
- 28 May 202411 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) has advised that the arrangement for the allocation of parking passes is changing from a first come with a waiting list, to an application and assessment process with the available spaces being allocated to those in greatest need.
As advised by BHSCT, this is currently being rolled out on a phased basis and expected to be implemented at the Royal Victoria Hospital site in the coming months (anticipated October 2024). There are a total of 10 agreed eligibility criteria of which includes for those who manage services and provide clinics on multiple sites.
The 10 criteria BHSCT use to assess demonstrable need for car parking applications are outlined in the table below:-
| Ranking | Assessment Criteria |
| 1 | Disability (holders of a blue badge)* |
| 2 | Permanent night duty/evening (from 4pm onwards)/weekend working* |
| 3 | Required to use private vehicle on a daily basis to directly deliver patient or client care (i.e. Community Health Visitor/District Nurse/ Midwife/Social Worker) |
| 4 | Carry out shift working as a requirement of the post and a set rota (scheduled to regularly start before 7:30am or finish after 7:30pm) |
| 5 | Manage Services on more than 1 site (responsible for managing staff on other Trust sites) |
| 6 | Provide services/clinics on more than 1 site (with a frequency of 1 or more times per month) |
| 7 | A public transport journey that involves one or more changes, and exceeds 1 hour of a commute. *Added bonus point of 1 point for every 10 miles from home address to base site up to maximum of 4 points for those staff that live 40 miles+. Zero bonus points for anyone who lives under 10 miles from home to base. |
| 8 | Parent/Guardian/Carer that uses car to transport children or provide caring responsibilities on way to or from base site and public transport is not a viable option |
| 9 | Registered car sharer who is actively sharing on a daily basis. (to include BHSCT staff family members within same household.) |
| 10 | Required to participate on a scheduled rota for on-call on a regular basis. |