27 June 2018
Plans prepared for new Hospital Transport Hub
Plans for a new Hospital Transport Hub in Bristol have been
developed to make it easier for patients and visitors to access the
city's hospitals.
The proposals would provide more parking spaces intended for
patients and visitors who travel to hospital by car as a medical
necessity, double the number of secure cycle spaces for staff
and provide a link for the existing free hospital shuttle bus.
Discussions are also under way to see how public transport could
link to the hub.
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has been
looking at ways to improve access to its hospitals for patients,
visitors and staff, as parking on site is limited. There are
currently 300 car park spaces for patients and visitors but in
2016/17 there were almost one million patient attendances at the
Trust's hospitals.
Staff, patients and visitors travelling to the Trust's hospitals
are encouraged to use the bus, cycle or walk. But sustainable
travel can be impossible for those with certain medical conditions
and they will either drive or be given a lift by a relative or
friend out of necessity.
A research* snapshot by the Trust suggests that 32% of people
who drive do so due to a medical reason, including patients who
live locally and further afield. Those people who must travel long
distances to our specialist regional services, like those for child
burns and brain injuries, may also find it difficult to use public
transport for their journey.
The Trust is aware that finding a parking space can be a
challenge for patients and visitors as parking on site is limited.
In some cases this means patients are late for their appointment or
even miss it altogether and the difficulty in finding a parking
space causes unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Now the Trust has developed plans for a new Hospital Transport
Hub on Eugene Street. The hub would include a new multi-storey car
park with 820 parking spaces (628 more spaces than the Trust
currently has in its smaller car parks). The majority of these
spaces (680 spaces) would be for patients and visitors who need to
park close-by, including 34 disabled spaces, an increase of 27. The
car park would complement and blend into its surroundings.
The hub would include a 400 space secure indoor staff cycle park
- doubling the amount of cycle parking provision currently provided
for staff.
Carolyn Mills, chief nurse, said: "Patients, families and
visitors who need nearby parking due to their medical condition
regularly tell us how difficult it is to find a parking space on
site.
"We encourage people travelling to our hospitals to use public
transport, cycle or walk, but we know these options aren't always
possible.
"We've been looking at ways we can help patients and
visitors get to our hospitals and have developed proposals for a
new Hospital Transport Hub which would increase the number of
parking spaces close to our hospitals and reduce the anxiety of
having to find somewhere to park."
Dr Mark Smith, chief operating officer and deputy chief
executive and a former GP, added: "I know how important it is for
patients to be able to access car parking when they are attending
appointments, especially when there is a medical necessity.
"Additional parking spaces, which would only be available for
patients and visitors with a small number provided for our staff,
would help to improve patient and visitor experience.
"We're committed to supporting sustainable travel and playing
our part in supporting efforts to find solutions to the city's
transport pressures.
"Our plans also include doubling the number of secure cycle
parking spaces for staff to 400, providing new changing facilities
and linking in with public transport services.
"We want to hear people's experiences of travelling to our
hospitals and their views about our proposals and I'd encourage
people to share their feedback with us."
An information drop-in session about the Hospital Transport Hub
plans will be held from 4.30pm until 8.30pm on 19 July 2018 in the
Level 9 Restaurant at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, BS2 8HW.
The Trust has spent many months developing these plans to fully
understand the issues and views of all stakeholders and expects to
submit a planning application for the proposed transport hub later
in summer 2018.
The existing multi-storey car park next to Trust Headquarters
and two other small car parks near the proposed hub would be closed
if the plans for the new hub are approved.
The 820 spaces within the hub would include 140 spaces for staff
who meet the criteria for on-site parking set out in the Trust's
parking policy. These spaces would replace the spaces in the
multi-storey car park next to Trust Headquarters which would be
closed. Two other small car parks near the proposed hub would be
closed if the plans for the new hub are approved.
If planning permission is granted for the proposed hub, the
residential properties Montague, Marlborough and Eugene Flats,
would need to be removed.
UH Bristol is in regular contact with the flats' residents and
has committed to giving them at least six months' notice of the
date that the Trust will require vacant possession of the
flats.
More information about the proposals can be found at www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/transporthub
Details of how to get involved and have your say can be found
here.
Further information:
The Trust encourages people to use sustainable ways to get to
its hospitals wherever possible and appropriate and offers a free
HUBS shuttle bus on weekdays.
Staff have access to:
- Regular cycle to work schemes offering discounted bikes
- Discounted park and ride bus seasons tickets
- The Trust also encourages staff to take part in the Big Green
Scheme which works to reduce our environmental impact across all
areas including energy, transport and procurement.
*The research for these statistics is based on 200
face-to-face and online survey results.
More information can be found at www.uhbristol.nhs.uk/transporthub
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