People describe their ‘horrendous’ journeys to York Hospital – as NHS bosses respond

The trust which runs York Hospital has acknowledged the parking problems which are having such an impact on traffic in the area.

It is working to improve the snarl-ups at the multi-storey car park, the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust told YorkMix.

It follows our report yesterday (Wednesday) where the director of a taxi firm expressed his despair at the jams around the hospital.

Mark Goldsborough of Streamline Taxis said the gridlock on Wigginton Road and nearby streets was the worst he’d seen in York.

He quoted the case of an elderly man who missed his cancer appointment after a 1.4 mile journey to the hospital took 50 minutes.

One of the main causes of the congestion is people queuing to get into the multi-storey car park at York Hospital, and out onto Wigginton Road.

After our report, many YorkMix readers revealed their nightmare journeys in the area. Here are some of their comments:

• “We waited nearly and hour yesterday to get from Nestle to the hospital for an appointment at the Magnolia centre, very stressful for patients having cancer treatment”

• “I was trying to reach my son who’d been taken to A and E, by his teachers, after having an accident at his special needs school, he had a bleeding head wound. I was so long getting there he was quite distressed when we finally got reunited“

• “Yesterday we booked a taxi from the hospital. It was horrendous the poor taxi driver had to park away from the hospital and we had to meet him”

• “It is a complete nightmare. The hospital car park is not big enough which causes a back up of traffic onto the mini roundabout on the main road. Which then causes hold ups in both directions”

Barrier failures

A spokesperson for York hospital trust told YorkMix: “We are working with City of York Council to ease the pressure on traffic around the hospital multi storey car park and on our hospital site.

“The multi-storey car park is regularly at full capacity which creates a queue to get in, and we make regular checks to identify people who have parked there who do not need to use the hospital, such as visitors to the city, so that we can redirect them to a more suitable car park.

“We have recently had problems with car parking barriers in the multi-storey car park and these are due to be replaced with a new streamlined system.

“This will include reviewing parking permits to ensure they are being issued and used correctly. Further spaces are also being freed up by relocating our pool cars.”

The hospital has also applied for permission to create an extra 57 staff parking spaces to help relieve congestion at the front of the hospital.

The spokesperson added: “We continue to work on alternative travel  schemes for our staff.”