Cameras monitor hospital parking

Cameras will record number plate details at some Glasgow hospitals

Bosses at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have defended plans to install number plate cameras at some hospital car parks.

The health board said it was one of several measures that would be used to enforce a four-hour maximum parking time in non-staff car parks.

It followed the abolition of parking charges at most Scottish hospitals on Wednesday.

Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw described the plans as a "stealth tax".

Parking fees at hospitals across Scotland were scrapped, apart from at three PFI hospital car parks in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

Hospitals covered by NHS Greater Glasgow, apart from the Royal Infirmary, now have a four-hour waiting limit in patient and visitor car parks.

Staying over the limit incurs a £40 penalty, reduced to £20 if it is paid within 14 days.

A spokeswoman for the health board said: "Monitoring methods will include hand-held computer systems to record registration details and flag up vehicles remaining on site beyond the time limit and also the use of cameras that can automatically pick up registration details.

If the health secretary is to remain true to her pledge to abolish the Lib-Lab hospital parking tax there can be no place for such an initiative Jackson Carlaw MSP

"These arrangements are similar to those used to manage public parking by local authorities and their use will be clearly flagged to people entering car parks."

Mr Carlaw, Conservative public health spokesman, said there was "growing concern" among hospital staff that number plate recognition cameras would be used to fine anyone overstaying an "arbitrary" time limit.

He said: "If the health secretary is to remain true to her pledge to abolish the Lib-Lab hospital parking tax there can be no place for such an initiative."

"Patients may find that their time in the hospital is underestimated.

"The scheme would also be prejudicial to volunteers and staff, concern for whom was at the heart of the announcement to abolish the Lib-Lab parking tax."

Token barriers

He suggested that for the "small minority" of cases where parking was a problem, the solution could be to install token-operated barriers like those used by hotels and commercial organisations.

"Staff, visitors and patients can obtain a free token," Mr Carlaw said.

"Those who choose to park without any hospital related business can pay an appropriate daily charge.

"Revenues raised from casual parking will offset costs, and those parking legitimately can do so for free," he added.

NHS Greater Glasgow said the new parking arrangements applied to sites where demand outstripped availability.

The spokeswoman for the health board said: "The parking rules on our sites are in place to ensure safety, proper emergency access, protection of disabled spaces and spaces available in a balanced way for access by staff and patients.

"This maximum stay has been introduced to help free up spaces needed for patients and visitors and to prevent us from returning to the previous free-for-all situation where our car parks filled up early in the morning making it impossible for patients to park."