Camera-operated parking system to be introduced at Bridgnorth Hospital
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is to introduce a new camera-operated parking system at Bridgnorth Hospital in the New Year.
The new cameras aim to combat concerns from hospital patients and visitors who have been frustrated by a lack of parking space and to stop some people using it as a base to leave their vehicle before heading into town.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is responding to the feedback received by having a new system installed by a company called Park Solve.
The system, which goes live on 8 January 2018, will read vehicle number plates upon entry. Hospital patients and visitors will be required to enter their registration details on a machine inside the Main Entrance and will then face no charge as long as they leave within 24 hours. Anyone leaving the site without inputting their details will be liable to a fine from Park Solve, who operate the same system at a number of other hospitals.
Rachel Mole, Clinical Services Manager at Bridgnorth Hospital, said: “We have had a problem with inappropriate parking on this site for many years, and it can be frustrating and stressful for patients when they come for an appointment at the hospital.
“We did not want to introduce parking charges so have been looking for other solutions and the system from Park Solve seems to be the best option.
“It is important to state that patients and visitors to the hospital will, as now, face no charge at all to use our car park. They will simply have to enter their registration details on a machine in the hospital and can then go about their business as normal.
“We are announcing this now to give people plenty of notice about the change. There are a number of other car parks locally for shoppers and visitors to Bridgnorth that we would encourage people to use if they have no business at the hospital.”
Bridgnorth Hospital has 43 spaces in its main car park, as well as four spaces for blue badge holders and three patient drop-off spaces.
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust says that on any given day, the site can see upwards of 200 people through its doors to attend clinics, go to the Minor Injuries Unit or to visit patients. The site also hosts the Bridgnorth Midwife-Led Unit.
