§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to hospital trusts on the provision of parking spaces for disabled people. [69669]
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§ Mr. DenhamNational Health Service Estates, an executive agency of the Department, provides building guidance to the NHS, principally through the Health Building Note (HBN), Health Technical Memoranda (HTM) and Health Facilities Note (HFN) series of documents. These represent best practice guidance, and through their adoption NHS trusts and health authorities should comply with current legislation affecting disabled people.
NHS Estates has published specific guidance in: HFN 14 "Disability Access" (1996); HFN 21 "Car Parking" (1996); and HBN 40 "Common Activity Spaces, Volume 1: Public Areas" (1995), and Appendix 1 "Checklist of access and facilities for disabled people". This guidance examines the concept of accessibility for all, including car parking, with particular emphasis on the problems that face people with a disability.
In February 1999, the NHS Executive will issue "Doubly Disabled—Equality for Disabled People in the new NHS—Access to Services". This guidance gives advice on accessibility for disabled people including "Transport, cars and parking". An access audit tool has also been developed by the NHS Executive, in partnership with NHS Estates Agency, and will be available to all NHS bodies in spring 1999.