NHS Anti-Car Nuptyism cancels Heart Operation...
NHS Anti-Car Nuptyism cancels Heart Operation...
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CarZee

Original Poster:

13,382 posts

295 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2814899.stm

I believe this is somehting to which Nonegreen alluded recently..

Op cancelled in parking chaos

Wales' leading hospital was forced to postpone surgery after new arrangements meant staff could not park their cars.


Workers at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff described the situation as "chaos" on the first morning of a new car parking plan.

Hospital workers used to use the site's privately run multi-storey car park but staff parking areas have been cut under new arrangements.

Hundreds of staff were unable to find space to park their cars, causing delays in getting into work on Monday. A heart operation had to be postponed as a result.

One member of staff - who did not want to be named - described the situation as "unbearable".

"I arrived on the site at 0820 GMT and at 0840 GMT I was going round in circles," he said.

At 0910 GMT it was just gridlock.

"In desperation I went to the multi-storey car park where I was threatened with a £19 bill for parking there for the day.

"I managed to persuade them to let me there for £1.90 for the day, but I am really worried about what is going to happen tomorrow.

"Everyone was affected and it was absolute chaos - people were just driving around looking for spaces even though there were none.

"I know that some people just went home because they couldn't park anywhere," he said.

He said that he had concerns of how the hospital would have coped had there been an early morning major incident.

There is a real health and safety issue because of this," he said.

"Some of the departments only had one member of staff in at 0900 GMT because of the problem.

"If there had been a major incident, I just don't think there would have been enough people to cope with it.

"It was absolutely chaotic and a total disaster.

Apology

Cardiff and Vale NHS trust, which runs the hospital, has apologised to staff and patients and said they are reviewing the situation.

"Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust would like to apologise to patients and staff who experienced problems parking at the University Hospital of Wales this morning," said a spokesman for the trust.

"Today was the first day of the new car parking arrangements for staff who are eligible to park on site and involved the use of new permits for designated parking areas.

The changes had been communicated to staff well in advance, according to the spokesman.

"Clearly though, there were teething problems this morning until approximately 0930 GMT, which resulted in some staff not being able to park.

"Unfortunately, one operation had to be postponed as a result of the disruption, but overall the impact on patients has been very limited.

The spokesman added the trust was reviewing events - with the car parking provider APCOA - to see what lessons could be learned.
Utterly unbelievable that these planners can't see the bigger picture and are so bent on stopping people using their cars that they don't care if medical requirements go unfulfilled.

Retards.

plotloss

67,280 posts

298 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
This is exactly the same lunacy that has forced my mother into a long walk every day.

She works at this place and even the consultant surgeons cant park there, its shocking. The Heath is about 5 miles from my mums place and is about a 15 minute drive in the mornings. If she got the bus like they suggested she should it would mean 4 buses and a 2 hour journey all told.

Its a balls up of EPIC proportions and this wont be the only case...

Matt.

tvrslag

1,198 posts

283 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
IMHO every NHS hospital I have had the misfortune to visit has had a parking problem.
In reality a quick 30 min consultation turns into requiring the whole morning off work.
Some of the stuf and road rage that happens in these car parks is amazing.
My wife used to be a sales rep within the medical industry, and I recall one incident where a very famous hospital in London lost a vast portion of its car park to travellers??!! They couldn't get ride of them until they had a court order to remove them from the premesis.
The planning and building of new hospitals and the renewing of older places, does not take into account modern car usage by patients.

plotloss

67,280 posts

298 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
I could possibly understand it in London, but this place in Cardiff is truly VAST! There are thousands of patients and thousands of staff and its not as if they are short of space.

Oh, and the car park they refer to in the article, was completed about 12 months ago

Matt.

tvrslag

1,198 posts

283 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
It can't be to bloody hard to figure out how many parking spaces should be needed.
Also why are hospitals never next to train lines? Also whenever ill, who in the hell wants to travel by Bus or Train?? noisey, smelly, uncomfortable, packed. Not exactley the best form of transport for somebody returning home with a broken leg or having just had minor surgery.

s2ooz

3,005 posts

312 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
yep, worcester has just had its hospital finished, and parking is limited, and there are steps up to the emergency ward from the car park, which was real handy for me on crutches following an accident. muppets.

P*Ting

5,618 posts

286 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
I don't believe these people!!!

When are they just going to accept that reducing parking is NOT a good thing. It causes stress, lost time, road rage and the desire to park your vehicle in their front door!



At a hospital as well! From the sound of it they've managed to make the situation worse than it used to be! As a general rule, if you aren't making an improvement don't mess with anything!

twit

2,908 posts

292 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
If anyone uses the Churchill Hopsital or Headington Oxford sites take note, only two weeks under our 'new' parking structure... There is nowhere to park now!!

Twit

pies

13,116 posts

284 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all

twit said: If anyone uses the Churchill Hopsital or Headington Oxford sites take note, only two weeks under our 'new' parking structure... There is nowhere to park now!!

Twit


thats not the john radcliff at headington is it? as im going there tomorrow

twit

2,908 posts

292 months

Tuesday 4th March 2003
quotequote all
Nah not the JR, though parking is a nightmare there too... It will mainly effect the churchill as a number of uni / health staff have lost parking permits...

Twit

MoJocvh

16,837 posts

290 months

Wednesday 5th March 2003
quotequote all
"Unfortunately, one operation had to be postponed as a result of the disruption, but overall the impact on patients has been very limited. "

Unless of course it's YOUR heart operation that's cancelled. Any sign of an apology to the patient in all of this? after all aren't they what it's REALLY all about?