Parking at my hospital

Fuzzy_2 · 13 January 2005 at 12:44AM

This is something which I really need to rant about. The hospital where I work, has recently been built at an out of town site, and there is not enough parking for it's staff, let alone the patients & visitors. >:(

Valuable time is wasted by staff driving round looking for spaces, some have even been known to give up and go home. Extra stress we could well do without, and we have to pay for a permit - no guarantee of a space.

Then the poor patients arrive equally stressed, late for clinics, and appointments, not good for them or the running of a hospital. Who is to blame?? The local council who have imposed ridiculous limits on the amount of parking allowed, and they won't listen. Cars get fined, towed etc, not good at the end of a hard day. I know most hospitals have this problem, but they could get it right for a new one couldn't they? I notice out of town shopping centres don't seem to have this problem, now how could that be?? :-/ . Big bucks, by big companies I expect.

Rant over for now!

bridiej · 13 January 2005 at 11:23AM

Sounds just like the William Harvey in Ashford!!!

When I broke my ankle I had to go for a check up and then regular physio - parking was a nightmare, we used to just drive round and round looking for somewhere and, like you say, be late for appointments, although sometimes we would park where we shouldnt and Malc would take me to the appointment then spend half an hour driving round on his own.

We also have the same problem at my college - on Tuesday afternoon I drove round for 20 mins looking for a space, twice round each car park and up the side roads - nothing! So I blocked 8 cars in, ran into my lesson and told the tutor I couldnt stay becuase there was nowhere to park! Total waste of time and money... >:(

WHA · 13 January 2005 at 5:35PM

I couldn't agree more.

They centralise and put a single hospital/school/college in a position where there is little/no useable public transport and then whinge about increased car use, not to mention "punishing" you for driving by putting in too few parking spaces and then having the nerve to put in a pay and display machine.

You're right that industry and retail don't seem to have the same problem. Probably because they're not infiltrated with members of the "anti car" lobby that seem to run most of the public sector.

shrek101 · 13 January 2005 at 7:24PM

I could be wrong of course but maybe the reason why they are doing this is to discourage people from using there cars.

In my area its an old hospital built in teh 1950,which has over recent years had huge extensions and a large car park.

Now the car park over the last 8 years is constantly full of car and some drivers illegally park or parking in areas that can causes accidents.

The car park became so congestion something had to happen. The trust now operates a pay and display but all this has done has pushed the problem on surrounding streets, people after dont like paying to park there car.

The hospital has now had a new wing added 2-3 years ago and another one planned. But as the area is so well congested with buildings the only land now left is the car park. The council will not allow the trust to build on any new land simply because there isn't any new land available in that area, so the alternative is, that they must use the car park and provide easy access for buses and alternative green transport.

Now whether you like it or nor the real problem is lack of suitable public transport and the fact that there are too many vehicles on the road, and unfortunately something has to give.

The only other alternative to create yet more car parks and compound the problem even further, because we will be back to square one in a few years time.

bridiej · 13 January 2005 at 7:32PM

We live in a semi rural area, dont get a bus service anywhere let alone the hospital.

I dont know what people expect us to do - cant afford to take taxis everywhere!

I think the government should either invest in decent, RELIABLE public transport or just admit defeat and build enough car parking space.

After all, they're quick to bung up thousands and thousands of houses in Ashford yet do sod all to make sure the hospitals etc can cope with the extra numbers!! >:(

jellyhead · 13 January 2005 at 8:47PM

gosh, we have a bus every 12 minutes going to the hospital! it probably helps that the hospital and uni are pretty much next door and it's only a mile from the town centre so plenty of people use that bus route, it's very profitable.

i think bus routes to hospitals should be subsidised though, the hospital must be repaying taxi fares or booking ambulances for a lot of people! don't people on certain benefits get refunded the cost of their travel to hospital?

Bossyboots · 13 January 2005 at 10:17PM

I had to go to the hospital yesterday and parking is a nightmare. I object to paying to park my car when I need to go to an appointment so I used to park in a side road and walk back to the hospital. They have now put double yellow lines practically everywhere around the hospital. I do understand that but now the hospital car park gets so full that people are queing on a one in and one out basis so not only can you not park on the side streets, you cannot even get into the hospital car park. Not all of the parking restrictions make sense though and that is very annoying.

Its all very well saying take the bus but that is not practical for most people either in terms of time or expense. Besides which, why shouldn't we take our cars when we need to visit the hospital. I find it stressful enough going for appointments and am usually in some pain when I leave. Having to then get on the bus to go to work or home is not appealing. In practical terms, do I take my car to work, get the bus back to the hospital, then back to work and drive home later or do I have an afternoon appointment which means driving to work, driving home then getting the bus back to and from the hospital. The position is even worse if I have to go to the other hospital in our trust's group which is a long way away. I usually have to get someone to drive me so that if we cannot park the car they will sit in it in the car park and just wait until someone leaves.

Fuzzy_2 · 17 January 2005 at 12:00AM

I can sympathise with all of the responses to my original post. I would love to be able to use public transport to get to work, but have to have my car at work as part of my job, as many of my colleagues have to, as we have to travel to other units. Often with heavy/bulky equipment, so buses are out. I also live 20 miles away from the site, a car journey which can be done in 30 minutes (on a good day). By bus, over 1.5 hours, and the earliest bus doesn't leave early enough for me to arrive by 8.30am.

What is most annoying is the council who just don't listen to the individual. I had a ticket about 2 years ago; there was no where to park, so left the car on the end of a row, not causing any obstruction (I don't want my car to get damaged), as had essential equipment to take into hospital. I pleaded my case, but nope that was that, they threatened with legal action etc etc, so I paid up. Even a solicitor thought they were "being anal!", but thought £30 was not worth fighting over. It was the principle of the matter, it's their jobs worth attitude which gets me!

Hey ho, it's back to work tomorrow so here we go again!!

Altarf · 17 January 2005 at 12:53AM

I would love to be able to use public transport to get to work, but have to have my car at work as part of my job,

If it is not a 'company car' I would use it to commute and use public transport whilst at work.

Fuzzy_2 · 17 January 2005 at 1:57AM

If it is not a 'company car' I would use it to commute and use public transport whilst at work.

Company car???????
This is the NHS, it's my own car; and as I said in the previous post, I have to take heavy/bulky equipment to other sites, and the buses are totally unsuitable for that, and the routes don't exist. One site is a 65 mile round trip, imagine how long that would take in a rural area without a car! :-/

Davesmum_2 · 17 January 2005 at 3:32AM

Same subject- Different angle...

I walk to and from my local hosp, where I attend a post natal group with my son. Due to the poor parking facilties in the hosp, people park up on the pavement, leaving NO room to get past with the pram. I understand that there is no where else to park, and i for one think its shocking!!

That my rant over.....for today!!!

LOL

Parking at my hospital

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