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Care Opinion

No space in the car park

Posted By kruyncher

"No space in the car park"

About: University Hospital Hairmyres

(as the patient),

I had an appointment at the Eye clinic in the morning and was unable to find a parking space anywhere within the various parking areas at the Hospital. I was starting to panic after about ten minutes trying to find a space in all the car parking areas along with other car drivers having the same problem. I eventually parked in Lidl’s car park with only 5 minutes left till my appointment time and hurried as fast as I could go to keep my appointment time. I suffer from angina symptoms due to a narrow artery at my heart and had painful chest pains by the time I reached the Ophthalmology Reception Area where I got my breath back while waiting to be seen. I understand there have been many complaints about commuters parking their cars all day in the Hospital’s Car Park while they travel by train from Hairmyres Railway Station to the City and it is really very unfair that Hospital patients should suffer due to their selfishness. This is the worst experience I have had so far at Hairmyres and as more houses get built in the area I can only see the problem getting worse and would ask that the powers that be within the NHS brings these complaints to the Police, The Press and most of all Scot Rail or whatever company operates the E. K to Glasgow service.

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Responses

Response from William McCutcheon, Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House, NHS Lanarkshire 7 years ago
William McCutcheon
Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 11/04/2017 at 16:46
Published on Care Opinion at 16:57

picture of William McCutcheon

I was extremely sorry to learn of the difficulties your family have experienced in locating a car parking space when visiting Hairmyres Hospital recently.

We can advise that there are over 1200 car parking spaces at Hairmyres Hospital. However, we recognise that at peak times the car parks have the potential to be at full capacity.

It is important that the hospital car parks are utilised by patients, relatives and staff but unfortunately, we are aware that train commuters have started to use the hospital car park. This can result in fewer car parking spaces available for people who have a real need to park at the hospital. Increased monitoring arrangements have been implemented to deter commuters from using the hospital car park and we frequently ask commuters who are using the hospital car park to make alternative arrangements so that our patients and relatives have appropriate access to the hospital.

I have attached the following links which indicates the parking locations at Hairmyres, which I hope you find helpful:.http://firstport2/resources/corporate-library/Documents/Hairmyres Hospital Site Map.pdf.

The following 2 links are to recent comms coverage

http://www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk/news/news/Pages/Hairmyrescarpark.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/nhslanarkshire/posts/10154672707753897

Thank you for taking the time to write to us and please accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience you have been caused.

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Update posted by kruyncher (the patient)

Thank you for standard reply Mr. McCutcheon but the problem lies with the commuters using the Hospital Car Park and until someone in authority takes the bull by the horns and penalises the illegal parking culprits then the Staff and the Patients and hospital visitors will continue to be frustrated trying to park within the Hospital grounds. I congratulate the medical staff for their efforts so far in bringing this problem to the public's notice by contacting the Newspapers to shame those commuters who leave their vehicles in the Hospital's Car Park all day long. I hope a solution can be found soon too

Response from William McCutcheon, Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House, NHS Lanarkshire 7 years ago
William McCutcheon
Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 12/04/2017 at 12:31
Published on Care Opinion at 14:23

picture of William McCutcheon

It is important that the hospital car parks are utilised by patients, relatives and staff but unfortunately, we are aware that train commuters have started to use the hospital car park. This can result in fewer car parking spaces available for people who have a real need to park at the hospital. Increased monitoring arrangements have been implemented to deter commuters from using the hospital car park and we frequently ask commuters who are using the hospital car park to make alternative arrangements so that our patients and relatives have appropriate access to the hospital. The hospital roads and car parks are not part of the public highway and we do not have any statutory powers to enforce parking regulations. We have signage located in all of the car parks advising drivers of the parking rules and we recently installed further signs at the disabled parking areas advising that these bays are strictly for disabled parking.

The management of the car parks is carried out on behalf of NHS Lanarkshire by our healthcare partners ISS Mediclean. Security staff regularly monitors the use of the car parks to identify vehicles that are abusing disabled parking spaces or are parked inappropriately or in a manner which causes obstruction to ambulances or the fire department. In these cases, security staff will apply adhesive warning notices, advising drivers that they have parked inappropriately and that their actions seriously inconvenience disabled motorists, patients, carers, visitors and staff. However, we recognise the ever increasing demand for car parking spaces and we are actively pursuing methods to control parking.

The new Healthcare Strategy, approved by NHS Board on 14 July 2016, includes a section on parking.

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