Tag: Royal Infirmary Edinburgh

End in sight to parking charges at Royal Infirmary Edinburgh

Talks at advanced stage to take over Edinburgh facility

Hospital parking charges are set to end permanently in Scotland after agreements were reached to buy out two car parks in Glasgow and Dundee operated through PFI (private finance initiative) schemes.

Negotiations are also progressing to take over the last remaining PFI car park in Scotland at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, with an agreement expected to be reached in the coming months.

Parking charges have been suspended at the three hospital PFI facilities since the start of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The agreements to take the car parks into public hands will mean this becomes permanent.

The new Scottish Government had pledged to take steps to end hospital parking charges permanently at PFI sites in Scotland during its first 100 days.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “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 changes 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.”

NHS Lothian Deputy Chief Executive, Jim Crombie said: “We look forward to the completion of negotiations with our PFI provider to end parking charges on our sites permanently and are grateful for the funding that enables staff and patients to continue to park free of charge in the meantime.”

The Scottish Government has provided the funding for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to complete the buyout of the PFI car park contract at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for £26.3 million, taking over the facility. A similar arrangement has been reached for NHS Tayside to buyout of the PFI car park contract at Ninewells in Dundee for £9million.

NHS Tayside Director of Facilities, John Paterson said: “We know that the suspension of car parking charges at Ninewells Hospital has benefited patients, staff and visitors alike and it has made a real difference to those who have come on to our site since March 2020. 

“Today’s announcement of the permanent removal of parking charges at Ninewells is welcome news for everyone. We have worked closely with Scottish Government and car park operators Saba UK to achieve this and we are continuing to work with Saba UK to ensure car parks are managed effectively, enabling patients, staff and visitors to park safely at the hospital.“

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.”

Car parking charges were suspended at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Free hospital parking extended at Royal Infirmary

Free parking has been extended at three of Scotland’s PFI hospitals until January – one of these is Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The extension was confirmed by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman in a written answer yesterday:

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

WRITTEN ANSWER

25 September 2020

Index Heading: Health and Social Care

Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the car parking arrangements at Ninewells Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

S5W-32056

Jeane Freeman: On 30 March 2020, the three PFI hospital car park providers at Ninewells Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary agreed to remove car parking charges for staff, visitors and patients initially for the three months and extended further by additional three months until 30 September 2020.

The Scottish Government have now reached agreement with the three PFI hospital car park providers to extend the free car parking arrangements by a further four months until January 2021. This extension of free parking continues to support staff and remove the barriers to our staff working with the NHS during these unprecedented times.

Lothians Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: “The extensions of free parking at PFI hospitals in Scotland until the new year is welcome news, but we need to see a long term solution to allow for free parking at all three PFI hospitals permanently.

“The lifting of parking charges shows that the removal of charges can be achieved and I will continue to work with MSPs of all parties to find a long term solution.

“This is now the second extension to the free parking charges without any clarity on what SNP Ministers are trying to achieve.

“Increasingly questions are being asked over the inability of SNP Ministers to secure a deal and whether value for Scottish taxpayers money is being achieved.”

There is no charge for parking at the Western General Hospital.

Project Wingman takes off at Royal Infirmary Edinburgh

Staff at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh are set to receive the first class treatment as the latest Project Wingman lounge opens on site.

The facility, which is run by pilots and crew from across every UK airline, will provide a space for staff to unwind, de-compress and de-stress before, during and after their shifts.

The lounge, the first of which to open in Scotland, takes inspiration from the ‘first-class lounge’ experience and will offer a relaxing and friendly environment where staff can be treated to refreshments such as teas and coffee, as well as light snacks.

The Edinburgh facility is part of a UK wide initiative spearheaded by British Airways pilot and captain Dave Fielding, Emma Henderson, an EasyJet pilot, and Prof Rob Bor, a psychologist at the Royal Free hospital in London.

While a light-hearted nod to the movie Top Gun, the initiative aims to provide support for staff who are busy providing first-class care for patients.

Furloughed, grounded, or made redundant by the COVID-19 crisis, the aircrews involved are all volunteering their time to put a smile on faces, while offering a much needed space for rest and relaxation.

Inga Cosway, Healthy Working Lives Co-ordinator, Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, said that across NHS Lothian, work has been ongoing to provide a range of facilities and support for staff. This has included the provision of a number of support helplines, as well as quiet spaces for staff to use.

Inga said, “We are delighted to welcome airline crew to our forces here at the Royal Infirmary. The Project Wingman lounge will provide a welcome space for colleagues to pause, reflect and unwind as together we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Most of us will never have experienced the luxury of a first-class lounge, but I know that staff are delighted to have this facility available to them and cannot wait to meet the captain and his crew.  We are grateful to the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation who have provided essential funding to make this happen.”

The Edinburgh facility, is being run and managed by Captain Paul Singleton, a pilot with Virgin Atlantic. Paul said that he wanted to give something back to NHS staff after personally seeing the work that they do day in and day out.

Paul said: “Like many others I wanted to do something to help and support the NHS at this critical time. My son had a major operation at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and I cannot thank staff enough for the outstanding care that he received. I was in awe of NHS staff before the COVID-19 crisis hit, but now, more than ever I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks and admiration.

“As aircrew, we are highly trained, well organised & excellent communicators. Using these skills we hope to support every member of staff at the Royal Infirmary, who are working tirelessly as we navigate the uncharted territories that COVID-19 is presenting us with.”

The Project Wingman lounge is available for all staff and is open daily from 7am – 9pm.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This is an excellent initiative run by pilots and crew from airlines across the UK to use their skills and experience to support NHS staff at this challenging time.

“NHS frontline staff are going above and beyond every single day, putting themselves at risk to care for everyone, and it is more important than ever to look after those who look after us.

“The incredible efforts made by all NHS staff during this period must be recognised not just now, but also in the future, by continuing to support those who are risking everything for us.”

Free hospital TV for patients

Patients in six hospitals across Scotland, including Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary, are to receive free bedside television for the next three months.

While restrictions are in place for visiting patients in hospitals, and in recognition of the impact this could have on the wellbeing of patients, the Scottish Government has agreed a package with broadcast providers Hospedia to give free TV to all inpatients for the next three months.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We know that being in hospital can be a lonely time, and even more so when your visitors are significantly restricted.

“Doing what we can to limit the spread of Covid-19 is the right thing to do, but we also need to make sure we’re taking care of the wellbeing of our hospital in-patients wherever we can.

“That is why for a temporary period of three months, we are covering the cost of providing bedside television to every hospital in-patient in Scotland. We are asking our patients and visitors to work with us to save lives by helping limit the spread of coronavirus.”

There are approximately 3,400 bedside units which can use Hospedia televisions across six Scottish hospitals, which can cost a patient £7.90 per day.

The hospitals covered by Hospedia include sites in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian.

All other hospitals in Scotland will continue to have existing TV services provided by the local health board free of charge.

The agreement to suspend television fees follows the announcement earlier this week that all parking charges will be waived for three months at the three hospital car parks in Scotland where charges remain – Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Briggs welcomes new Minor Injuries Unit

A new minor injuries unit at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh will help reduce long waits for patients at A&E and direct people to the most relevant care for their needs.  The new facility has been welcomed by Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs MSP. Continue reading Briggs welcomes new Minor Injuries Unit

Re-signing at RIE

Look out for new signs at Royal Infirmary on Monday

A major signage and wayfinding project, being jointly delivered by Edinburgh BioQuarter’s four public sector partners, is underway. The City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise and the University of Edinburgh have come together to address the varying needs of people accessing the 100 acre site by vehicle, public transport, cycle and on foot.
Over 90 new signs will span the entire site, with three nine metre high signposts situated along the A7 Old Dalkeith Road marking out the main entrances and exits.
Car parks are being renamed and numbered, linked to these three gates. Further detailed orientation boards, street signs and building signage will also be installed as part of this exciting project.
The information below should help you when travelling to the Royal Infirmary, or any of the buildings on the Edinburgh BioQuarter campus. These changes are set to go live on Monday (29th October 2018).
WHO DESTINATION PREVIOUS CAR PARK NEW CAR PARK USE ENTRANCE GATE
Patients

Visitors

 RIE C & D 2A & 2B 2
Simpsons maternity A IG 1
Staff All F 2C 1 & 2

Ach, just when I thought I finally had it all sussed … !