New hospital car parking measures

Western Health Trust hospital car parks are to be managed by an outside contractor from next Monday.

The Western Health Trust has drafted in an outside company to help manage traffic at its hospital car parks.

That's due to an increasing number of users at Trust sites complaining about bad parking while trying to attend appointments.

"The Western Trust is to implement new car parking measures at Altnagelvin Hospital and the South West Acute Hospital from Monday 3 October 2016 to improve management of traffic and car parking on both hospital sites," the Trust said in a statement.

"The Trusthas 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," it added.

It's hoped the new measures will clamp down on the levels of inappropriate parking.

“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," Teresa Molloy, Director of Performance Management and Service Improvement at the Western Trust said.

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.”

Procedures are due to come into force at the South West Acute Hospital from Monday. 

Those after further information are asked to visit the Western Trust website at www.westerntrust.hscni.net.