NHS STAFF IN PARKING ROW
Safety fears over new restrictions
Health bosses are putting the safety of staff at St John’s at risk, say workers who have been banned from parking cars at the hospital.
They have been told that they can no longer use car park P, one of the largest, which will now be reserved for patients and visitors.
And female staff are said to be particularly fearful for their safety following the rape of a jogger in Armadale last month. Workers say that while they agree that more parking should be made available for patients, it should not be to the detriment of staff.
One employee, who asked not to be named, said there is now little parking on the hospital grounds for employees unless they are eligible for a permit which are extremely difficult to obtain. The worker said: “We are being told to go and find parking around Livingston in the vicinity of the hospital grounds at the old Post Office depot or the football stadium, all of which present a safety issue for females walking up to the hospital during the dark evenings.
“The posters being put up by the hospital are telling you that they are happy to help you find alternative parking but when you submit an application for a parking permit, you are refused one on the grounds you are not important enough, like a consultant or doctor.
“All manual workers, admin staff, van drivers etc are being refused.
“We are just as important in providing care for patients.”
Another worker said: “I don’t know anyone who has applied for a parking permit who has got one.
“It’s a big bone of contention among staff who are worried about
having to walk to their cars late at night.”
The changes to parking are due to come into force from July 3.
Aris Tyrothoulakis, interim site director at St John’s Hospital, said car park A would revert to a staff car park from July 3 to ease the problem.
He said: “The main car park (car park P) at St John’s Hospital is designated for patients and visitors only.
“It is being used by hospital staff, which is causing patients to miss or be late for appointments.
“From Monday, July 3, we will introduce an automatic number plate recognition system in car park P to ensure it is only used by patients and visitors. Car park A is currently an overflow car park for patients and visitors.
“In July it will revert mainly to a staff car park, with an allocation for patients and visitors who require a disabled space. The rest of the car park will have designated spaces for Tripshare and staff passholders.
“Staff can apply for a car park pass via a car parking application form. We have more requests than spaces, so agreed NHS Lothian criteria are applied to ensure that we have a fair and consistent approach to the allocation of passes.
“Car parking passes are reviewed annually to ensure we are allocating permits on current, not historic, circumstances.
“We recognise that demand for spaces outweighs capacity and therefore we need to support staff who currently do not have a parking pass.
“Between now and July, we will be communicating with these staff to advise on what they need to do to find alternative solutions.
“We plan to hold information sessions, at which speakers will provide information on Active travel, Tripshare and public transport.”