Hospital parking

[Daven 10]

I was at Hallamshire last week and signs were still saying mobiles must be switched off, not that anyone took any notice.

 

Mobile phones SHOULD be turned off or at least be put into flight mode when entering a clinical area as a matter of course out of respect.

The main problem is people using the camera on their phones to take pictures of patients they don't know who are very unwell and then posting them on Facebook............ oh yes - it has been done

Not to mention the noise they make and the apparent inability of some to talk and not shout into their phones.

 

---------- Post added 18-08-2017 at 10:06 ----------

 

http://www.sth.nhs.uk/news/news?action=view&newsID=969

 

Good news but you have to find somewhere to park first

 

And you have to pay 20p 'convenience fee' when using the app.

[sheffstats 10]

Insufficient and Inadequate.

 

A quick search shows that others have marginally touched on a similar theme in the past..however I just wanted to go back to this subject as it really infuriates me.

 

A relative of mine recently left work to find themselves issued with a "parking warning notice" for self admittedly, albeit marginally parking in an area in which they shouldn't have. My relative will quite openly put their hand up and say "my bad" because whilst we are only talking the front third of the vehicle, never the less they did park marginally over double yellow lines.

 

Just to paint a picture however of the current situation that staff are confronted with up at The Northern General Hospital.

 

Let's say that your shift starts at 0800 hours. You know that your commute to work will take approximately 45 minutes..however you also know that you will possibly have the ever occurring issue of finding somewhere to park, therefore just to be on the safe side..you set off 1 and 15mins hour earlier in order to get to work and parked on time

 

Upon arriving at work, you don't find yourself presented with huge, empty car parks in such style as dreadowhall. You have to bare in mind that hospitals are a 24hr business..The staff car parks are already at a decent capacity with night staff due to vacate around the same time as you begin work, waiting for them to return would make you late so it simply isn't feasible.

 

You circle many a full staff car park and whilst you see a few spaces available in the patient / relative car parks, you can't park here. The permit that you pay for on a monthly basis only covers the staff car parks and parking in this area would equate to as much trouble as parking on double yellows.

 

At the same time as all of the above.. you are completely aware of the current issues that plague the hospital. Having seen cars with broken windows previously and having read warnings of staff cars being stolen / broken into recently by scum.. you really don't want to risk parking in obscure /quiet areas of the hospital.

 

Anyway..you circle the perimeter and it's many car parks for close to 30 minutes to no avail, what do you do? You have 5 minutes to be on ward and ready to work!...If you are late you are in for a major roasting!

 

The choice my relative made was to park on a non-emergency, slip / access road where parking is actually allowed. The only vehicles that use it are hospital works vehicles and despite marginally crossing the double yellows, you could most certainly still get an articulated lorry past..never mind the calibre of the vehicles which needed access. To put it in layman's terms, the car wasn't hurting anything what so ever by being where it was..never the less my relative accepts that whilst their hand was very much forced, they did indeed break the parking rules of the hospital and they put their hands up and say "fair cop".

 

I guess the final consideration into this matter is that my relative actually pays money every month for all of this hassle. The staff parking permit scheme is pretty flawed really as the £30 or whatever it is per month that staff pay, doesn't guarantee parking!..The scheme is well and truly over-subscribed!

 

Moan over really..but the situation up there for staff is well and truly pathetic!.. A flip of a coin as to whether you are going to get parked in the first place and with two members of security staff manning the whole area, you then have to risk 12 hours away from your vehicle in full knowledge that vehicles are being broken into / stolen from hospital grounds!

 

Unfortunately due to their rural location, public transport isn't actually available (or at least direct public transport) therefore isn't feasible.

 

The wonderful, life saving people at in the NHS..really are persecuted from every, possible angle!

[Waldo 96]

Wonder if some kind of group action would be worthwhile? You're not going to change much on your own, but if it's a problem a lot of staff are experiencing, can't you all get together organise and get the powers that be to improve the situation?

[ENG601PM 10]

Or use a bus and have an extra half hour in bed.

 

https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/sheffieldhospitalguide.htm

[Andy1976 10]

You do realise that most employers don't provide on site parking right? My company doesn't. My last company didn't. In fact, only the company I worked for in 1997 ever has. For the rest of the time, I've had to pay, get the bus, or manage some other way. My current car park is circa £1200 a year, out of my pocket.

 

And yes, that includes working at night.

 

My wife currently works at the Hallamshire. No parking there. She gets the bus for that very reason.

 

Sadly, in the days when parking is limited for everyone, it's a problem many, many, many people face.

[sheffstats 10]

Or use a bus and have an extra half hour in bed.

 

https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/sheffieldhospitalguide.htm

 

As said, they live in quite a rural location and have quite limited access to public transport. I could only guess but I would imagine it would take her up to three buses to and from work and i'm not totally sure however I think the village bus that serves the area is also a limited service therefore wouldn't cover her shift pattern anyway.

 

---------- Post added 29-11-2017 at 15:35 ----------

 

You do realise that most employers don't provide on site parking right? My company doesn't. My last company didn't. In fact, only the company I worked for in 1997 ever has. For the rest of the time, I've had to pay, get the bus, or manage some other way. My current car park is circa £1200 a year, out of my pocket.

 

And yes, that includes working at night.

 

My wife currently works at the Hallamshire. No parking there. She gets the bus for that very reason.

 

Sadly, in the days when parking is limited for everyone, it's a problem many, many, many people face.

 

But this is something that you consider when looking for employment is it not?

 

I would imagine that one of her first considerations before even applying for the position was to check how feasible it was in regards to the commute and parking situation.

 

I think we need to bare in mind that this is a chargeable service. It isn't just the case of "providing parking" because it isn't free parking, it comes at a premium of over £300 per annum for a service which isn't guaranteed.

[ENG601PM 10]

As said, they live in quite a rural location and have quite limited access to public transport. I could only guess but I would imagine it would take her up to three buses to and from work and i'm not totally sure however I think the village bus that serves the area is also a limited service therefore wouldn't cover her shift pattern anyway.

 

---------- Post added 29-11-2017 at 15:35 ----------

 

 

But this is something that you consider when looking for employment is it not?

 

I would imagine that one of her first considerations before even applying for the position was to check how feasible it was in regards to the commute and parking situation.

 

I think we need to bare in mind that this is a chargeable service. It isn't just the case of "providing parking" because it isn't free parking, it comes at a premium of over £300 per annum for a service which isn't guaranteed.

 

I appreciate that, but the solution is straightforward for an adult; drive, park, bus, or even bike!

[Guest]

I'd park on any street around Longley and just walk around.

[geared 302]

Parking has always been an issue there and it's a similar story in many other hospitals across the country.

 

Alot of people just try and park nearby and walk in, not the best solution but public transport isn't always an option.

[Phili Buster 10]

Maybe not a help for NGH but I do know there are a quite a few people who park on the various estates in and around Handsworth and then catch the bus.

Would parking in, for example, Ecclesfield be a possibility rather than close on to NGH?

[sheffstats 10]

I appreciate that, but the solution is straightforward for an adult; drive, park, bus, or even bike!

 

If you have all of those options available to you....

 

Already stated that public transport isn't a feasible option as the service hours don't run in line with the hours that she works. Rural services aren't that great.

 

As for cycling, a quick route check shows the distance as 17.6 miles, a decent percentage of which on dicey rural lanes, without street lights. Would you really want one of your female relatives cycling that route in the dark at ridiculous hours?

 

My point remains the same. The hospital are charging for a service that they are not providing really.

 

---------- Post added 29-11-2017 at 17:35 ----------

 

Maybe not a help for NGH but I do know there are a quite a few people who park on the various estates in and around Handsworth and then catch the bus.

Would parking in, for example, Ecclesfield be a possibility rather than close on to NGH?

 

Thanks for the suggestion Phili Buster, I will pass on this information to her.

 

This could well be a decent alternative solution for normal working hours, but i'm not sure Sheffield buses run into the early hours do they?

 

Thank you all the same for your suggestion though, I will pass this on.

 

---------- Post added 29-11-2017 at 17:38 ----------

 

I'd park on any street around Longley and just walk around.

 

Believe it or not, staff are being encouraged to try and find parking in the hospital ground because the crime around there at the moment is absolutely terrible and quite scary.

 

There have been numerous muggings / street robberies in and around the grounds, those parking on roads in the surrounding areas have been especially targeted.

 

Also I do very much agree with the plight of those who live in the surrounding areas as well, they should be entitled to park their own vehicles outside of their property without spaces being taken up by hospital staff

[The Joker 10]

I'd park on any street around Longley and just walk around.

 

Yep, you and thousands of others daily . . .

 

Tip to the OP, if you want to park on the surrounding streets of the NGH, then PLEASE get there before 6:30am. By 6:45 / 7am, the surrounding streets are full of NGH staff and patients’ card and you WILL struggle to find a space.

 

Can’t some of the NGH staff get a petition / class action suit / bribe / blackmail the NGH directors to build another multi-storey car park within the NGH grounds?

 

I contacted Sir Andrew Cash about this a year or two ago, but one of his staff said they couldn’t afford to build another car park at the time as they were saving up for the £10illion helipad. Now that’s built, can we have a car park please ?