We encourage all medical and social care staff to use sustainable modes of transport, to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality for all. However, we recognise that you may need a vehicle to provide essential health and personal care services to people living at home within a residents' parking zone. You can avoid parking fines by registering for a Medical Parking Permit or a Social Care Parking Permit.
Use this page to find out about Medical and Social Care Parking Permits, the cost and duration of available permits, how to apply, and how to use a permit.
Check your eligibility
Select a topic below to read about who can apply and the types of permits available.
If you are a medical professional and you provide essential medical services to patients at their home within a residents' parking zone, you may be eligible for a Medical Parking Permit. Eligible groups for Medical Parking Permits include the following professionals:
- Doctors (please note there is a separate parking permit scheme for GPs)
- District nurses
- Midwives
- Occupational therapists
We will consider all applications on a case-by-case basis.
If you are a social care professional and you provide personal care to residents at their home within a residents’ parking zone, you may be eligible for a Social Care Parking Permit. Eligible groups for these permits include the following professionals:
- Home care assistants
- Community support and outreach workers
We will consider all applications on a case-by-case basis.
Check the cost
Medical Parking Permits and Social Care Parking Permits cost £100 per year, in line with the baseline for other permit types, such as Resident and GP Parking Permits.
Before you apply
Your Practice Manager, or someone in a similar role, can submit an application on your behalf.
You will need to provide a supporting letter from your Practice Manager or Director, or similar from your employer, on headed paper, to confirm that you are an existing employee.
How to apply or renew your permit
You can apply for or renew a Medical or Social Care Parking Permit through our online permit management service, MiPermit.
If your application for a permit is refused
How to use your permit
Select a topic below to find out where you can use your permit, how to activate a parking stay, and your responsibilities.
You can use these permits to create free parking stays in the following restricted areas, for up to 2 hours at a time:
- Any marked permit-holder parking bay in any residents' parking zone
- Bays marked for the use of Residents Parking Permit holders in the Central Zone
- Pay & Display bays in the Central Zone only. You must pay to park in any other Pay & Display parking bay
You cannot use these permits for staff parking, and you cannot use a permit to park at your surgery or practice. If any of our officers see your vehicles in close proximity to your regular surgery or medical practice, we may issue a Penalty Charge Notice and cancel your permit.
You also cannot use a this permit in the following places:
- council car parks
- where there is a loading ban
- a marked cycle lane
- sections of a road with any marking associated with a pedestrian crossing
- where obstruction or danger will be caused
- a Blue Badge Holders only bay
- a clearway/bus stop/taxi rank
Permits are not vehicle specific, and you can register a number of vehicles to use a permit. However, you can only use your permit for ONE vehicle at a time. If your medical practice requires two or more staff to perform visits at the same time, you will need to buy more permits for their use.
If a visit takes longer than 2 hours, or if several visits are taking place in the same street, you must activate additional parking stays before the expiry of each 2-hour period. There is no limit to the number of concurrent stays that you can activate on a single permit.
Find out how to activate a medical or social care permit parking stay.
Renewal
You (or your Practice Manager) will need to renew your Medical or Social Care Parking Permit annually. You can apply for renewal up to one month before the expiry date. To avoid the risk of a parking ticket, you should renew before your current permit expires.
Updating your details
It is your responsibility to keep your parking permit details within MiPermit up to date. If you change your registered vehicle, you must update its details immediately, to avoid getting a parking fine.
Informing staff of permit terms and conditions
It’s your responsibility, as an applicant, to ensure that any staff who have their vehicle linked to a permit account are aware of the full Terms and Conditions of permit use.