Decision details

Barnet Hospital Car Park

Decision Maker: Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Chairman invited to the table:

  • Dr. Shaw, Chief Executive of Barnet Hospital
  • Lisa Robbins, Manager, Healthwatch Barnet

 

The Chairman noted that the Committee had been sent the following information relating to parking by the Royal Free since the publication of the agenda.  However, the Chairman pointed out that the information provided stated that 9 spaces were out of use due to the portacabins but that the figure should be 20. 

 

Car Parking Spaced at Barnet Hospital

2016

2017

Staff Spaces

749

731

Visitor Spaces

251 (including 14 drop off spaces)

295 (including 14 drop off spaces)

Disabled Spaces

39

39

Motorcycles

2

2

Ambulances

5

15

Portacabin area

9 spaces out of use

9 spaces out of use

Total Spaces in use

1056

1082

 

The Chairman informed the Committee that 200 extra parking spaces had been added in 2012 to accommodate extra patients when Chase Farm Hospital’s A&E and Maternity Units closed.  However, the current parking problem had arisen because the Hospital had blocked off approximately a quarter of the Patient/Visitor Car Park and re-designated it as a Staff Car Park.

 

The Chairman reported that she had attended a site meeting with Andrew Panniker, Director of Capital and Estates at the Royal Free, together with Councillor Zinken and Councillor Stock to see where additional spaces could be added.  She noted that there were various strips of grass which would be suitable and that she had spoken to a Planning Officer at Barnet Council who had advised that he did not think there would be a problem in submitting a Planning Application for this.  The same applied to converting one of the cycle lanes to be used for parking.  The Chairman noted that Mr. Panniker had cancelled a further meeting to discuss the issue.  Dr. Shaw apologised for this and undertook to look into the matter. 

 

The Chairman advised that Healthwatch Barnet were receiving many complaints from people unable to park at the site and had therefore undertaken a study on the matter.  This showed that 53% of people who had driven to the hospital on that particular day had experienced problems with parking. 

 

The Committee noted that the Chairman had previously contacted the Head of Planning at Barnet, who had looked into the planning history of the site and advised that the Portacabin spaces should have been returned to Patient/Visitor parking when the building works were completed.  Dr. Shaw informed the Committee that architects and planning colleagues were working with the London Borough of Barnet in order to free up the portacabin area.    Dr. Shaw advised that there were currently essential staff working in the portacabins who needed to be moved. The Committee noted that space at the Barnet Hospital site was very constrained and that a new entrance just for ambulances was opened last year.  Dr. Shaw undertook to investigate the situation with regards to the portacabins and provide further information to the Committee.

 

The Chairman informed the Committee that when she had visited the hospital with Councillor Stock, they had been talking to a patient who had missed an appointment previously because she was unable to park.  She was now trying to attend the re-booked appointment, but again could not find anywhere to park and had had to abandon her car.  The Chairman informed the Committee that the patient was in tears because of the situation. 

 

A Member commented that the parking situation at the hospital was already intolerable but as the Borough has an expanding population, the need for more parking would only increase. The Committee noted that the site was not served well by public transport. 

 

Dr. Shaw apologised that the patient had had such a poor experience and advised that the issue of parking would be ongoing.  Dr. Shaw noted that he paid a lot of money to park in the staff car park at the Royal Free and if he did not arrive before 7:30 am, he would not be able to find a space.  He noted the need to find a balance for hospital and staff parking and commented on the need to ask staff and patients if it was necessary for them to arrive by car. He said that he regularly got the bus to work and between hospital sites but recognised this was not always possible for patients.  He commented that multi-storey car parks were very expensive to build and assured the Committee that he took the situation very seriously. 

 

The Chairman advised the Committee that when the extra 200 spaces had been added to the site, the hospital’s income increased significantly.  She noted that there was a piece of wasteland near the entrance to the hospital which could accommodate approximately 80 extra spaces. 

 

The Chairman invited Lisa Robbins to provide the Committee with an update on the engagement work undertaken by Healthwatch Barnet.  Ms. Robbins informed the Committee that the engagement exercise was undertaken in May this year.  She noted that people were generally very positive about their experience at Barnet Hospital but that there were concerns about parking.  She suggested that the hospital provide information about reaching the hospital by public transport in their patient letters.  She also advised the Committee that people were experiencing difficulty in registering disabled vehicles and stressed the need to do more engagement on the matter. 

 

The Chairman questioned if the report from Healthwatch Barnet had been sent to the Royal Free. Ms. Robbins confirmed that it had.  Dr. Shaw undertook to check with the Director of Nursing about the report and its contents as he had never seen it. 

 

Referring to the issue of people receiving parking tickets because their appointments had run late, a Member suggested that car park ticketing be done under the “pay by foot” system, whereby customers collect a ticket as soon as they park and then pay the correct amount at a machine when they return to their vehicle.  Dr. Shaw undertook to look into this option. 

 

The Chairman informed the Committee that she had previously undertaken a site visit to Barnet Hospital to inspect parking signs because they were too high and she was concerned that people parking at the hospital would not see them.  She advised that, as a result of the meeting, the parking signs had been lowered.  

 

Dr. Shaw thanked the Committee for inviting him to speak on the matter and stressed his commitment to improving patient experience. 

 

RESOLVED that:

1.    The Committee noted the report.

2.    The Committee requested to be provided with further information on the use of the space where portacabins are currently located.

 

Publication date: 22/11/2017

Date of decision: 02/10/2017

Decided at meeting: 02/10/2017 - Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: