Oxford hospital staff face parking fee hike (From Oxford Mail)

Oxford hospital staff face parking fee hike

9:20pm Thursday 13th August 2009 in

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WORKERS at an Oxford hospital could face parking permit hikes of 15 per cent as part of an attempt to improve facilities for patients.

Staff at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Headington, also face being refused a permit if they live within 20 miles of two park and ride sites on the city outskirts.

The NOC trust has outlined proposals for changes to staff car parking in a consultation paper as it struggles to improve parking for patients, and minimise traffic around the site.

The trust has 119 parking spaces on site for patients and visitors, but on average receives 270 patients and 40 visitors a day.

And while there are 298 staff car parking spaces, 550 staff hold parking permits to use at the hospital.

A number of proposals have been put forward by the hospital, including increasing the cost of staff parking permits by 15 per cent, and extending exclusion zones around Water Eaton and Thornhill park and ride terminals.

That would mean staff living in Chipping Norton, Carterton, Banbury, Buckingham and Princes Risborough would all be ineligible.

Some staff have reacted angrily to the proposals.

Suzanna Simms, an administrator at the hospital, said it would cost her an extra £300 per year to drive from her home in Aston, near Bampton, to a park and ride and catch a bus to work.

She added: “That’s on top of petrol as well. It would also increase my travelling time at both ends of the day.

“At the moment I can drive to work in 45 minutes.

“Having to use a bus service would greatly increase this time.

“I also don’t feel it would be safe to use the park and ride service, especially in winter.

“The increase of 15 per cent every year is scandalous. We are being penalised for living in a rural area and having to drive to work.”

The proposed rise would see someone at the hospital earning less than £15,000 a year paying £69 instead of £60, and someone earning less than £30,000 a year paying £138 instead of £120.

NOC Trust chief executive Jan Fowler said: “We recognise that for some time car parking at the NOC has been difficult for patients, visitors and for our staff.

“We are reviewing our overall transport strategy. This has included making available an additional 21 patient and visitor spaces and a further 12 spaces for blue badge holders.

“In tandem with this we are exploring further options for staff and patients.

“We are running a three-month consultation with staff to take account of any impact of these proposals before any decision will be made.”

The consultation finishes on August 31 and any changes will be implemented on November 1.

Comments from staff can be either emailed to noctransport@noc.nhs.uk or posted to NOC Transport Trust Offices, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LD.