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Disabled parking spaces taken up by builders

Posted By Stobhill hospital outpatient

"Disabled parking spaces taken up by builders"

About: Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

(as the patient),

I notice that currently 3 disabled parking spaces at the Beatson are being taken up by builders portacabins and fencing.  There is already a problem with trying to get parked at the Beatson, and often there are no spaces (disabled spaces or otherwise) free.  I am sure this is a problem for many people.  In my case this means that whoever is bringing me to the Beatson usually has to drop me off at the reception, then go and find a parking space.  This makes me feel very nervous, as my balance has been affected by my condition, and I don't feel confident to walk through the entrance and along to Outpatients reception on my own.  Or alternatively I have to go in the car with the person who is driving me to the Beatson to try and find a parking space, and then walk back to the building with them, which can be tiring.

I would be interested to know why the decision was made to put the builders portacabins over 3 of the disabled parking spaces, rather than elsewhere on the site?  For example, there is some waste ground immediately behind these where the portacabins could have been placed instead.
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Responses

Response from Nicole McInally, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 5 years ago
Nicole McInally
Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 04/09/2018 at 11:44
Published on Care Opinion at 15:32

picture of Nicole McInally

Dear Stobhill Hospital Outpatient

Thanks for getting in touch.

I am sorry to read about the problems you had getting a parking space. Attending hospital can be a stressful and anxious time and being unable to find a parking space only adds to this.

I have passed your post on to our Facilities team to get some more information about the disabled parking spaces at the Beatson and will get back to you when I hear back from them.

Kind Regards

Nicole

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Response from Nicole McInally, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde 5 years ago
Nicole McInally
Patient Experience and Public Involvement Project Manager, PEPI,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 14/09/2018 at 14:17
Published on Care Opinion at 15:44

picture of Nicole McInally

Dear Stobhill Hospital Outpatient

The Hospital Estates Department advise that the portacabin, unfortunately, is required to be located where it is for operational reasons arising from upgrade works on the General Hospital site. This includes important work in the theatres and Main Vent Plant room, requiring cabins to be as close to the works as possible for materials, commissioning, and health and safety. There are approximately 3 weeks left on the project, when the cabin will be removed and spaces returned to normal use.

The bays themselves are not specifically designed for Beatson access, being furthest away from the entrance at the back of the dining room, but we are aware that Beatson patients and their families do use them, and the period they are out of use will be kept to a minimum. The nearest disabled spaces are located at the Beatson patient and visitor car park, or at the front of the Tom Weldon Building. A car park attendant in this area prioritises patient and visitor drop off areas. If you, and/or those attending with you use the drop off area, the recent upgrade to the Beatson provided additional seating where you can wait on them.

If you have any difficulty accessing a bay please contact the attendant (wears a hi-viz jacket with ‘CP Plus’ on the back) and he will arrange for you to attend your appointment in good order without unnecessary stress.

Regards

Gerry McCool – Facilities Directorate

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Update posted by Stobhill hospital outpatient (the patient)

Seriously, your reply to this is that those 3 disabled bays are not specifically designed for Beatson access, even though they are about 350 yards away from the Beatson main entrance? Also, you have not explained why the 3rd space (in addition to the two taken up by the portacabins) is fenced off for use by someone who I assume is the site manager each day. Why is that person not using one of the spaces specifically reserved for contractors? - The contractors car park is very close to where the portacabins are. Disabled patients and visitors are unable to use the contractors car park, but it seems it is OK for the contractors to use the disabled patients and visitor spaces? If you need to fence off a space for use by the site manager, can I suggest the one at the very top of the hill at the far end of the front of the administration (old original hospital) building? (not sure why the Patient and Visitor spaces have been put at the top end furthest away from the Beatson, beyond the Staff Permit Holder spaces)? This furthest Patient and Visitor/disabled space is sometimes free, and is usually the only one that we can find available to park in on the site. I'm afraid it is a bit of a walk though! That's great that the work will be finished in another 3 weeks. My daily radiotherapy appointments finish at the end of next week. Thanks for making the 6 exhausting weeks of my radiotherapy even more stressful than it needed to be.

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