PARLIAMENTARY: Community healthcare staff parking charges

The Scottish Parliament's Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee wrote to RCN Scotland asking for our views on petition PE2041: Exempt community healthcare staff from parking charges. The petition calls for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to encourage local authorities to exempt staff working at community healthcare facilities, and who don’t have access to free on-site staff parking, from on-street parking charges.

The RCN believes that all staff should be able to access safe, sustainable, and affordable travel to work regardless of their role and working hours. The RCN expects all employers to enable their staff to travel to work sustainably without exposure to unnecessary cost and risk. This should include the provision of free onsite parking where available alongside a range of other sustainable travel options. 

Parking arrangements form part of working conditions for RCN members and impact recruitment and retention rates. 

We are clear that staff undertaking their duties should not be out of pocket for doing so. Where individuals are essential car users, for example because they are required to visit their patients, this should be taken into consideration in respect of the parking facilities provided at their base.