AQW 29448/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 27/06/2025
Answered On Date: 08/07/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on car parking provision at the Ulster Hospital.

Answer:

The aim of the Department’s policy on car parking is to ensure the effective provision of car parking across all of the Health Estate for patients, visitors and staff. Decisions on how the Department’s policy is applied is for each Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT) to determine to enable them to take into account local issues.

The Ulster Hospital has approximately 2200 parking spaces of which of approximately 900 are public spaces and 1300 designated for permitted staff parking. Capacity is constrained by the geography of the site, planning restrictions and the number of entrances and exits serving the site.

On a typical day public car parking capacity at the Ulster Hospital meets the demands of vehicle users although some delays may be experienced at peak times.

There is insufficient capacity for all staff to be provided with an on-site car parking space, however the trust provides over 100 free off-site staff parking spaces at Dundonald Omniplex with a free shuttlebus operating every 15 minutes at peak times and every 30 minutes at all other times. There are also cycle to work and car share schemes as well as evening and weekend passes for parking out of hours.

The trust realises that car parking is a genuine concern for their staff and is working with government departments to provide viable alternatives to single occupancy car use and to increase off-site staff car parking capacity.