Coronavirus: Free NI hospital car parking ends after £6m spend

The cost of offering free car parking to healthcare workers at Northern Ireland's hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic was £6.6m.

BBC News NI has seen a letter sent by Health Minister Robin Swann to health unions earlier this month, confirming the amount.

The policy was in place between April to June 2020 and it resumed in October.

However, free parking as well as free public transport for healthcare workers ended last month.

BBC News NI understands that health unions had asked Mr Swann to consider delaying the reintroduction of parking charges until 2022.

The Department of Health said the measure was "introduced to recognise the contribution of HSC (health and social care) staff during the worst times of the Covid-19 pandemic".

However, its statement added that it "was not intended to be a permanent change".

"Due to the challenging financial situation facing the health service at this time it was simply not possible to continue to provide free car parking beyond 31 August 2021," it continued.

"Diverted funds required to provide free parking would reduce funding provided to other sectors of the health service."

Dolores McCormick, associate director of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland, said nursing staff would be "deeply disappointed at the reinstatement of car parking charges across health care trusts whilst we are still in the throes of this pandemic".

She said health unions had told the minister "that this will do nothing to improve morale or retain staff".

"Deferring these charges for a bit longer would have gone a long way in making staff feel a bit more valued," she said.

Anne Speed, from the union Unison, said it was also "disappointing" for members at a time "when staff are under significant pressure".

"The health service is creaking at the moment," she continued.

She added that the "main concern" for the workforce was the pay uplift of 3% in Northern Ireland, with inflation costs, rising utility bills and increases in national insurance representing a "body blow" for many workers.

Normal charging resumed after the Department for Infrastructure ended its policy on 31 August.

In making the announcement, Minister Nichola Mallon said it had been "a small gesture to those workers who put themselves in the frontline to save lives and look after some of the most vulnerable in our community".

However, she explained it was only designed to be "temporary" and she understood that ending the scheme would be "disappointing to many".

The Department of Health outlined that a number of health trusts would continue to offer free shuttle bus services to hospitals.

These include at Blacks Road to service the Royal Group of Hospitals, Dundonald Omniplex for the Ulster Hospital and at Sprucefield Park and Ride for Lagan Valley Hospital.

It said the South Eastern Trust was also in negotiations about a permanent offside parking facility in Newtownards which, it was hoped, would be in place by January 2022.