"Parking"

I have asked our Car Parking Manager to provide a response to your comment regarding your experience. He has provided the following information.

May I firstly apologise for the inconvenience caused on this visit, your experience was not as you, or the trust would expect.

The system has been changed as a direct result of patients & visitor comments, feedback, and complaints regarding the previous system utilising Pay & Display. It was agreed that the key objectives following this feedback were to:

1. Create capacity for patients and visitors - The most common complaint previously was the time taken to find a parking space, on many occasions up to 45 minutes, resulting in anxiety for patients & visitors, and/or cancelled appointments. I’m sure you appreciate this was an unacceptable situation. Since the installation of the barriers, there has remained capacity within this car park, and we have received many compliments regarding the relative ease to find a parking space.

2. Reduce the patient journey – Many complaints were regarding the patient journey. Under the previous system a patient had to find a space, park, attend a pay station, return to their car, then to their point of care. It was accepted that for many patients with mobility challenges, this was an unacceptable extended journey. Under the barrier system, a patient parks, attends their point of care, then visits a pay station on the return to their car. A much shorter patient journey.

3. Improve the accuracy of tariff charging – Many complaints were from patients that had paid under the previous system, but their appointment took longer than anticipated, and they became anxious that there payment ticket had expired. The barrier system removes this concern, as the payment is exact to the time parked. In all cases there is now 30 minutes grace to enable return to the car and exit of site.

Once again may I thank you for bringing this to my attention and your comments will be taken on board when reviewing the system, and once again please accept my apologies for your recent experience on visiting our hospital.

With best wishes

Rebecca Pilling, Quality Improvement Facilitator: Patient Experience