No hospital spaces is parking mad

Oct 19 2005 By Tony Deeley, Birmingham Mail

A COUNCILLOR today hit out at "deplorable" parking facilities and directions at Dudley's newly-revamped hospital.

Coun Malcolm Davis claimed he was forced to park on the roadside after a fruitless search of more than half-an-hour looking for a parking spot while visiting Russells Hall Hospital.

Once inside the building, inadequate directions further delayed him in reaching the department he required.

Paul Farenden, chief executive of the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, said the Trust recognised there were problems and was working to resolve them.

Coun Davis questioned why a multi-storey car park had not been built on the hospital site as was originally planned.

"You cannot get anywhere near the hospital by car because two thirds of the spaces are permanently taken up by the staff who work there," he claimed.

"It took me over half-an-hour to try to park and in the end I was forced to park on the roadside nearby."

Mr Farenden said the Trust had commissioned a traffic impact survey around the site.

"Once the survey is complete we will be in a suitable position to design and prepare a planning application for a multi-storey car park," he said.

Mr Farenden added: "Signage within the hospital is currently being looked into.

"We ask visitors to please remain patient whilst we resolve some of these problems."