§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on the level of minimum provision of disabled parking spaces at NHS hospitals. [33497]
§ Mr. HuttonNational Health Service Estates, an executive agency of the Department of Health, provides advice and guidance to the NHS, principally through a 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 guidance document "Car Parking" (1996—Health Facilities Note 21) suggests overall proportion of car park spaces for disabled people for healthcare premises, whilst accepting that the number and different types of car park spaces would be dependent on the range of healthcare services and facilities provided.
The Department also issued "Doubly Disabled—Equality for Disabled People in the new NHS—Access to Services" (1999). This guidance gives advice on accessibility for disabled people including 'Transport, cars and parking'. To help underpin this process, an access audit tool was developed and made available to all NHS bodies in 1999.