Free on-street parking is being offered to help up to 800 NHS workers spend more time giving care to their patients instead of searching for places to park.

It is an extension of the Healthcare Permit parking scheme already put in place by Cornwall Council to help carers, and will provide exemptions for parking similar to those of the Blue Badge Scheme for disabled people.

NHS clinical community workers will be issued with a time clock and will then be able to park for up to two hours, on single or double yellow lines, when they are delivering care to patients.

They will still be expected to park safely and not cause an obstruction.

Parking still isn’t allowed in loading bays, at bus stops or on zig zag lines outside of buildings like schools and hospitals.

Specific parking bays such as those reserved for disabled drivers, doctors, taxis or residents are also not included in the scheme. 

Those eligible for the parking scheme have been identified by the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and have already been contacted directly with an invitation to apply.

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Any queries concerning the issuing of the permit should be directed to the NHS via cft.travel@nhs.net as Cornwall Council are unable to provide approval for permits.

Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, said: “We said that we wanted to put in place a scheme for NHS clinical community workers to be able to park close to the homes of their patients and we’re now able to make good on that commitment.

"It can be an issue for them to find a parking space close to the home of a resident they are visiting to deliver health care. This scheme means that they can apply for a permit which will let them park on street for a limited time, even where there are single or double yellow lines.”

Phil Confue, Cornwall Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive, said: “The extension of Cornwall Council’s permit parking scheme, will mean clinicians working the community will be able to park more easily, allowing them to spend more time with their patients.

"This is a great example of how health and the council are working together to support communities.”