THE Western Trust is to implement new car parking measures at Altnagelvin Hospital from Monday 3 October 2016 to improve management of traffic and car parking on both hospital sites.
The Trust has contracted a third party company to assist with day-to-day traffic management of both sites.
The Trust will retain control of operational management of car parking at both hospital sites, and will provide guidance and instruction to support the company to ensure the Trust can maximise accessibility to both sites for patients, visitors and staff.
The Trust has been aware of site users not appropriately using the car parking space available, including disabled parking bays, and this has caused unnecessary difficulties for other site users.
Teresa Molloy, Director of Performance Management and Service Improvement at the Western Trust said:
“The Trust needs to ensure that all those who visit our hospital sites have appropriate access to the site.
“For this reason we need to ensure that the traffic is well managed and parking spaces are used effectively.
“Protecting blue light routes, disabled parking bays and general site access is important, so after consultation we have decided to introduce these new controls on both hospital sites.”
The Trust is also implementing these measures to support and promote more sustainable travel, and to encourage site users to respect the fact that we are an operational hospital environment.
Site users who do not comply with the new car parking management procedures will be issued with a parking charge notice (PCN) and may incur a penalty.
Teresa Molloy continued: “This decision has not been taken lightly; we have increasing numbers of site users complaining about misuse of parking spaces and inappropriate parking on both hospital sites.
“Our Trust needs to protect access for those with greater access needs, so that they can park on both sites, without difficulty.”
The Trust and supporting contractor will over the coming weeks be providing guidance in relation to the control measures as well as the free/concessionary parking on the Trust’s hospital sites. We encourage all site users at both hospitals to follow the new measures for the benefit of everyone. For further information please click here.
Teresa Molloy concluded: “We are confident that all site users with appropriate journey planning and guidance will be able to adapt to these new traffic management measures.
To further support the new scheme, the Trust will be providing a short lead in period from Monday 3 October to Sunday 16 October 2016 for all patients, visitors and staff.
“During this period the Trust will apply Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) but will not enforce these, giving site users time to adapt to the new arrangements.”
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