Hopes for extra car parking spaces at Raigmore Hospital
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PARKING woes at Raigmore Hospital could soon be a thing of the past as NHS Highland has finally been awarded funding for improvements.
For years, selfish motorists with no business at the hospital have used the free car park as an alternative to paying for spaces in Inverness city centre or even at the airport, at the expense of patients and visitors.
But now it is hoped that 200 extra spaces can be created and vehicle registration number recognition equipment installed.
Last week cancer sufferer Craig Dunain, from Inverness, was so incensed he could not find a space in the car park he put up posters reminding drivers: “This is not a park and ride.”
He says: “There are patients coming over 100 miles to appointments who can’t park and there are people visiting A&E in high stress situations, perhaps with children, and they can’t park.”
Work to create new parking bays and install barriers is now due to start in the first week of July, after the Highland Health Board Endowment Fund agreed to provide the £620,000 needed for the project.
This is a rise from the £558,000 previously agreed.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, who has long campaigned for parking improvements at Raigmore, said: “For too long, the lack of spaces and lack of controlled parking has been a source of huge frustration to patients, staff and hospital visitors.
“That’s why last year I launched the Raigmore parking campaign. Thanks to that campaign and its supporters, this issue has been kept on the agenda and has resulted in NHS Highland having to deliver on the promises they made last year.”
Mr Mountain said he understood the work would take around 15 weeks to complete.
