Parking worries over staff move to hospital site

HUNDREDS of non-clinical NHS staff could be relocated next to Ninewells Hospital — despite pledges to reduce parking demand at the site.

Health bosses have promised to find new ways to limit the number of car owners using the facility after local residents complained about vehicles spilling out on to residential streets.

In a meeting with local councillors last month, NHS Tayside’s chief operating officer Lorna Wiggin agreed to have a site masterplan carried out at Ninewells and said management is looking at moving services away to help alleviate the pressure.

H ow ev e r, s t a f f h av e accused the health board of being “all talk” thanks to existing plans t o move around 250 administration workers from Maryfield House, in Mains Loan, to the Mackenzie Building at Ninewells.

Employees who park at Maryfield House free of charge say they have been promised fewer than 80 parking spaces, raising concerns the move could make existing overspill i ssues even worse.

It’s understood that staff were told this week the move will go ahead, with cash-strapped NHS Tayside bosses describing the plan as “ideal” as it already owns the building and could move without the cost of finding new premises.

An NHS Tayside spokeswoman confirmed non-clinical staff based at Maryfield House will be moved to “appropriate alternative premises” to drive down maintenance costs.

She added: “Options for alternative premises, which includes the Mackenzie Building on the Ninewells Hospital site, are still being considered as part of the strategy and we will continue to work closely with staff to keep them informed.”

West End councillor Richard McCready said: “I have major concerns about the continuing relocation and centralisation of services at Ninewells and it strikes me that support workers just do not need to be sited there.

“I think this move totally flies in the face of promises given and I would call on NHS Tayside to rethink this.”

Bailie Fraser Macpherson said: “What we want to see is less concentration on the Ninewells site and I think it makes no sense to move in more administration and non-medical staff.”