Health watchdog calls for drive to improve parking for patients

Research by Hull LINk has identified a series of grievances from patients and staff about the access to Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, in Cottingham.

One patient arriving at Castle Hill had to alter an appointment from their car after finding the car park full, and others have described the cost of parking as prohibitive.

Staff expressed concern about the impact on patient health because of the stress caused by the problems, and many found they could not get through when trying to book the patient transport service by telephone.

One respondent to the survey said: "I tried getting through to transport for two weeks to no avail, the telephone was constantly engaged.

"Therefore the resident had to get a taxi to Castle Hill Hospital at a cost of 35 for both directions.

"As a support worker I feel this is unacceptable."

Hull LINk has now written to Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospitals, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service, to call for improvements.

Jonathan Appleton, team leader at Hull LINk, said: "We had over 350 separate comments about car parking at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, the majority about a severe lack of space.

"This was a particular problem at Castle Hill, which patients described as a 'nightmare'.

"We heard stories of people missing their appointments because they couldn't find a parking space.

"People also complained about the cost of parking, a lack of disabled spaces and unclear signage.

"With the NHS non-emergency patient transport service many people faced unacceptably long waits to be picked up and taken home from appointments.

"Workers told us they were worried about the affect this would have patients' health, especially as those who use the service often have serious medical conditions.

"We also heard the frustrations of people attempting to book NHS transport by phone, in some cases being put on hold for over an hour."

He added: "With car parking, we appreciate that there is a limit to the amount of spaces local hospitals can provide.

"However, we have put forward some solutions to minimize the problems at Hull's hospitals such as staggered visiting times, short-term parking areas, and a 'pay as you leave' system to save patients money."

David Haire, director of business development and strategy at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, welcomed the report and said: "The trust is very aware that the provision of car parking at Castle Hill in particular needs to be improved and we are currently working to provide over 200 additional spaces for the hospital through a lease agreement with a local landowner.

"There are, however, legal and technical highways issues that are subject to detailed discussions, but we hope to have a solution in place in the next few months."

Diane Williams, acting director of patient transport service operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said improvements to the telephone booking system were made in March and April.

She added: "We have already met with representatives from Hull LINk and NHS Hull to discuss the report and have drawn up an action plan to address the issues raised.

"These actions will be implemented during the remainder of this financial year."