Hospital staff cause parking chaos
Claim bosses are ignoring hundreds of illegally parked cars blocking routes
SCORES of staff at a busy Birmingham hospital are causing traffic chaos by ‘parking illegally every day’, an insider has claimed.
Doctors and nurses are among those routinely parking on double yellow and red lines and in disabled bays at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.
They have also been accused of parking on pavements and verges at the site.
A disgruntled staff member claims they block pedestrians and those in wheelchairs or mothers pushing prams, forcing them into the road.
The insider claimed that warning signs placed on cars are ignored with often the same cars seen in the same spots day after day.
The staff member said visitors to the site, who are asked to pay £3.10 an hour, are upset when they see so many cars parked illegally, when they are asked to pay steep parking fees.
The worker said the problem was a consequence of new management not fining staff parked illegally but insisting on just issuing warnings.
These warnings were routinely ignored, he claimed.
The Post visited the site and witnessed the chaos as described. Rows of cars ignoring double yellow and even double red lines near A&E.
There were cars parked on verges with blue warning signs in plastic pouches, seemingly ignored.
A lorry delivering medical supplies was stuck as drivers had parked on a road, leaving no room for them to get through.
The staff member, who lives in Birmingham, said: “Parking has become ridiculous. There are over 100 cars parked illegally every day. Every single day. They park on double yellows and even double reds.
The Trust is clueless and no action has been taken. It’s becoming a problem for everyone on site. Staff and visitors who pay to park their vehicles say, why should we, when these guys are parking on pavements? It’s £3.10 an hour to park.
“There is no enforcement because the management is incompetent. Even some staff have complained about it to their managers but nothing has been done.”
The insider added: “Most of the vehicles parked illegally are staff members. But there’s no actual enforcement and they know it.
“I find it most frustrating that it’s staff members. And they should know there are ill and disabled people that use the site.
“The warning signs say if you repeat this offence again your parking privileges will be taken away and you will be referred to your line manager. But this never happens to those at higher grades.
“The doctors and nurses get away with it. But not the lower-paid staff. One of the staff members, a staff nurse, has received 100 warnings but carries on.
The worker added: “It’s causing a lot of frustration. Warning signs don’t mean anything.
“If they are not enforced, they will park illegally again and again. It’s got way out of hand. This new management came in.
“Fines used to be issued, which reduced the problem. But that’s been stopped.”
A spokesman for University Hospitals Birmingham which runs Good Hope Hospital, said: “We do not underestimate the strength of feeling in regards to the pressures on car parking capacity, which can lead to irresponsible parking.
“We are working with car parking operators on a new system that will offer more efficient use of existing space, better flexibility and affordability for staff, and enforceability for any driver not parking responsibly.
“The Trust is also investing in new cycle facilities and working with transport operators to enable good commuter discounts. We are also exploring the option of off-site parkand-ride-type facilities to reduce the pressure of car parking on the hospital site.”