Caring for your car parks

In 2004 the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was launched and a key element was the introduction of Local Security Management Specialists (LSMS) in each NHS health body – providing professional skills and expertise to tackle security management issues.
    
There are over 600 in place within local NHS Trusts throughout England and Wales, and part of the training and remit is to look at safety in car parks and how these facilities can be accredited under the Safer Parking Scheme. This initiative is run by the BPA on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Ensuring safe car parks
In February 2006, the NHS SMS undertook a survey of car park provisions in NHS health bodies across England. The aim was to build as accurate a picture as possible of the numbers of car parks and the arrangements in the NHS. The survey also obtained information on how the NHS is performing in relation to the Safer Parking Scheme. Approximately 3,600 car parks were surveyed of the estimated 9,677 facilities across NHS Trusts. A total of 661 of the car parks surveyed are shared with other organisations, such as local sports clubs, cinemas and supermarkets.
    
NHS health bodies currently manage a total of 119 car parks that have achieved the Park Mark® award, predominantly in the acute sector, and the number is increasing. Acute Trusts are more likely to apply for the scheme as their car parks are generally larger and experience a greater flow of people, as many of their sites are hospital sites.

Crime does not pay
Large or long-term car parks used by employers, staff and customers can benefit from being a member of the Safer Parking Scheme. Car parks with the award are instantly recognisable by the Park Mark® logo. The initiative is designed to create a benchmark standard for all parking areas across the UK, and establish safer parking areas both for the public and their vehicles
    
National statistics show that around 22 per cent of vehicle crimes occur in car parks. When using a Park Mark® car park, people can be confident in the knowledge that the area has been thoroughly vetted by a Police Accredited Assessor and they are parking in a safe and non-threatening environment.
    
Many parking facilities with the award have experienced a dramatic reduction in crime or, where facilities do not experience vehicle related crime, have been able to create an environment where motorists feel safe.
    
The NHS SMS is now developing guidelines based on the survey findings so that all NHS health bodies can make their car parks safer. The guidance aims to address the needs of all types of health bodies and the variety of car park arrangements that are in place. The guidance will also encourage NHS health bodies to apply for the Safer Parking Scheme.  

Life-care plans for your car parks
The owner or operator of any car parking facility has a duty under law to provide and maintain it in such a manner that it does not endanger persons whilst in use - this may include employees, maintenance workers, visitors (lawful or otherwise) and children. There are no exceptions, and failure to comply with the legal obligations may give rise to prosecution. The law in this area is complex and advice should be taken on best practice.
    
If a car park structure is left unchecked, or has reduced levels of safety, problems can easily occur. This can be avoided by adopting a Life-Care Plan, which is a strategic and managed approach to the inspection, maintenance and management of parking structures. It shows a commitment to the staff, patients and visitors that you care about every part of the hospital facilities.
    
It is also a requirement to confirm that a Life-Care Plan exists where appropriate when considering entering a parking facility into the Safer Parking Scheme.

Customer care
Proper and effective management of car parks is also an important area of customer care and another BPA initiative that will benefit all customers of NHS car parks is the new Approved Operator Scheme (AOS), backed by a Code of Practice for Parking Enforcement on Private Land and Unregulated Car Parks.
    
The Code is designed to ensure that motorists are treated firmly but fairly; unreasonable, unfair enforcement will become a thing of the past.
    
The code aims to standardise the industry’s approach to ticketing on private land and encourage fairness for the consumer. Compliance with the code will be monitored by the BPA and members will be required to submit evidence of compliance annually, highlighting any issues and identifying proposed solutions. A dedicated xompliance officer, supported by a team of development managers, will conduct regular and random testing via on-site inspections to ensure that the code’s principles are being maintained.
    
The BPA is determined that good parking management is as easy as ABC:

• Act Rationally

• Behave Responsibly

• Charge Reasonably

This will mean an end to rogue companies issuing parking tickets on private land, which can often occur near to, if not within, hospital premises.
    
The Approved Operator Scheme comes into operation in October 2007. Ensuring that only companies that are members of the scheme are employed to manage parking is another way for NHS Trusts to demonstrate that they care about the people using their facilities.

Meeting the needs of disabled people
There are a lot of people visiting and attending hospitals with disability issues and it is important that your car parking facilities can meet their needs.
    
Since 1 October 2004, owners or operators of car parks should have taken all ‘reasonable’ steps to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), including any changes to their car parks to ensure that there is no disadvantage to disabled people when using the service. As the Act covers the widest spectrum, employers should positively give consideration and take action to meet the varying needs of disabled people (not always visually apparent) wherever change may be necessary, through consultation, education and constant review at every level.
    
When assessing the area needed for staff and customer parking, it should be noted that the current UK ‘norm’ for parking spaces is 2.4 metres wide by 4.8 metres long. The space for maneuvering (roadways) between bays is six metres. These dimensions are neither minimum nor written in tablets of stone, and may be revised to suit your particular needs.
    
Government guidelines (‘Inclusive Mobility’ published by DfT) recommend that 6 per cent of parking should be allocated to disabled people unless otherwise covered by local planning regulations. The guidance also recommends how to identify these spaces with special markings and signage.
    
It is recommended that parking spaces for disabled people are 3.6 metres wide, where the difference (1.2 metres) is yellow hatched to enable sufficient access for wheelchair users. These spaces should carry the ‘wheelchair’ logo on the surface of the bay and display the appropriate sign at a driver’s eye level. Advice on how to ensure that you cater for the needs of people with disabilities can be obtained from organisations such as Mobilise and RADAR.
    
Customer care and safety are priorities for both the BPA and the NHS. By ensuring that hospitals are kept up to date with BPA initiatives, they can easily get involved and realise the benefits for all those that use their car parking facilities.

For more information
To find out how you can get involved, and for more information on the Safer Parking Scheme and Approved Operator Scheme, please visit www.britishparking.co.uk or contact 01444 447 300