NHS Tayside bosses have admitted there are “significant” car parking challenges at Perth Royal Infirmary.
The admission comes after several patients and families contacted The Courier to raise their concerns over parking problems at the hospital.
Bert Horne, of Perth, visited PRI recently and blames hospital chiefs for an apparent parking shortage.
He said: “In the last three weeks, there have been at least four occasions at the Tay Ward parking area for visitors in the PRI when I was waiting for a space.
“I then spoke to a nurse, who told me she couldn’t park in staff car parks as she was not allocated a pass because she lived on a bus route.
“If this is the case, then this needs to be looked into by NHS Tayside.”
He continued: “Although staff have their own parking area, I have on many occasions found you can’t get a space in any of the patient and visitor car parks due to the number of staff cars parked there before clinics or visiting commences.
“These members of staff will leave their work to replace the parking ticket until their shift finishes, thus barring patients or visitors from a parking space all day.
“Are there not enough spaces in the staff park for employees? If not, something needs to be done to rectify this problem.
“If there are, then car park services need to stop this practice of changing tickets and blocking visitors’ and patients’ parking sites.”
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman told The Courier that site management at PRI acknowledge there are “significant car parking challenges” on the hospital site and have been working to improve the situation.
“SMART Parking provide an attendant who applies the car parking regulations,” she said.
“Also, a parking voucher scheme was introduced at PRI to assist patients attending outpatient appointments.
“Car parking vouchers are sent out with the patient’s outpatient appointment letter, which entitles the voucher holder to park in one of the three dedicated car parks.”
She said staff parking is available on site for permit holders only, who “must meet the agreed criteria” to be allocated a permit.
“Site management at PRI continues to work proactively to manage the situation, including working with the car parking group, which works with Perth and Kinross Council’s colleagues, developing a PRI travel plan,” she added.