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Care Opinion

Parking at Wishaw General

Posted By Madge51

"Parking at Wishaw General"

About: University Hospital Wishaw

(as a service user),

I currently have two knees that should have been replaced in Dec 2017 but due to muscle wasting complications that has been postponed.  In the meantime, a SIF (Subchondral Insufficiency Fracture) was found in my left femoral head.  This explains the months of severe pain I've had.  Conservative treatment is all that can be used until the results on an EMG study that is due to take place next month (fracture found at the start of the year) are available.

Hydrotherapy is a real boon for me but since I don't have a wheelchair, I try to park as close as I can to the Physio Dept.  There are lots of disabled spaces available & I have a blue badge however,  I counted no less than 6 cars parked in disabled space without displaying a badge yesterday.  Not one of them had a warning sticker on them.

I found a space outside the front door that was not blocking the area in any way, displayed my badge and hobbled round to the physio dept.  I was 20 mins late for the session as a result of the parking difficulties.

I was horrified that given the abuse of the disabled bays, I had one of these 'very difficult to remove' sticker put on my car.  What ever happened to common sense?  You cannot be selective in which transgressions you choose to target & I would strongly suggest that for a trial period, every single Blue Badge is examined when people are parking.

How come cars are targeted and yet smokers are belching out filthy smoke that sick people are having to walk through to access the building.  Priorities people!  

I cannot consider patient transport for various reasons.

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Responses

Response from William McCutcheon, Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House, NHS Lanarkshire 6 years ago
William McCutcheon
Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 26/02/2018 at 13:50
Published on Care Opinion at 16:03

picture of William McCutcheon

I am sorry that you were not able to find a parking bay when you visited the hospital for your appointment. Unfortunately, we face an ongoing problem with able bodied motorists abusing disabled parking spaces and drivers who park inappropriately causing an obstruction to other vehicles or pedestrians. Regular checks are undertaken by our security/car parking staff who apply adhesive notices advising drivers that they have parked inappropriately. They will also speak to drivers to advise them that they are parked inappropriately.

We acknowledge that you would have been anxious to arrive at your appointment on time and can understand why you parked on the kerbside. Although the security/car parking staff have to apply notices in line with hospital policy, we have taken the opportunity to remind them to use a more pragmatic approach where short term, parking does not obstruct other road users or pedestrians.

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Update posted by Madge51 (a service user)

Hi William, You have identified the root cause of the problem, the abuse of disabled driver spaces. Would it not be prudent to undertake say a two week campaign where your staff tackle that so that a strong clear message goes out that it not OK to deprive genuine Blue Badge holders of the assistance they need I.e. parking close to their destination?

Multistorey car parks are the answer and the newer hospitals in Scotland with the exception of Forth Valley Royal have adopted that model. If ever the opportunity arises to improve Wishaws parking in that manner, grab it with both hands.

Is your department also responsible for enforcing the hospitals No Smoking policy? The situation at Wishaw in that regard is diabolical. Patient are running the gauntlet & trying not to breath in the filth in order to get into the building.

Regards

Update posted by Madge51 (a service user)

It's a pity that I can't upload a photo I took outside the Rehabilitation unit today.

It show a 'stickered car wrongly parked outwith the disabled bay & another right outside the unit on double yellows lines. Both were displaying blue bagdes.

So either it random & pot luck if you get caught or........ Who knows. Whatever the strategy is, it's not clear and it's wholly ineffective. Just saying.

Response from William McCutcheon, Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House, NHS Lanarkshire 6 years ago
William McCutcheon
Head of Business Support, Property Support Services Division, Law House,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 20/03/2018 at 11:51
Published on Care Opinion at 12:07

picture of William McCutcheon

Thank you for your comments. We continue to operate within the current guidelines until any changes are made.

Regards

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Update posted by Madge51 (a service user)

Dear Mr McCutcheon, Who makes the guidelines? When were they last updated? Do you really believe they are working effectively? I most certainly do not & have photographic evidence to support this view. It's a pity that it cannot be upload on the system but if you would care to send me your email address I will happily forward it on to you.

I shows two vehicles, both 'illegally' parked, one has a sticker on but the other doesn't. This makes it look like a random process that is being applied. Despite having well documented medical conditions that indicate my lack of mobility I have been refused hospital transport. So that option doesn't exist for me.

Response from Yvonne Ross, Patient Affairs Manager, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 6 years ago
Yvonne Ross
Patient Affairs Manager, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 23/03/2018 at 14:37
Published on Care Opinion at 14:45

picture of Yvonne Ross

Dear Madge51

I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you had parking your car when you attended the hospital and share your concern about the smoking at the main entrance. I note that Mr McCutcheon has already responded to you however I would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you and address any other questions you may have.


Kind regards

Yvonne Ross

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Update posted by Madge51 (a service user)

From my view point there is nothing else to be said. I feek like its a random process thats being used & they've probably always done it that way. If you keep doing what youre doing, youll keep getting what you get. So appears to me there's no will to make things better.

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