Staff at a Merseyside hospital are allegedly "looking for new jobs" after being "banned" from parking on the hospital car park.
Arrowe Park Hospital, in Birkenhead, has allowed staff to park onsite free of charge since the start of the pandemic in 2020. However, staff claim the return of visitors has seen new parking restrictions brought in due to a "lack of space".
The hospital have refuted the claims that most staff members are being prevented from parking, but said enabling works have made some spaces "temporarily unavailable". One staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said people can apply for fobs that will allow them to park at the hospital for £10 a month however these are only available to staff who meet a "very strict criteria".
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They said staff are now "absolutely desperate" for the new restrictions to be overturned and some are even looking to leave the hospital because of the move.
The staff member told the ECHO : "They’re not really offering the fobs out to a wide range of criteria. One lady is pregnant with two disabled kids and even she has been knocked back.
"They’re not even allowing us to pay the standard £3.20 to park because we’re not entitled to park anywhere on the premises. Round the area there’s no parking. Around Arrowe Park, its mostly permit holders only.”
They added: “For two years because of covid, they’ve allowed every staff member to have free parking but now they’re saying there’s not enough spaces. Obviously they stopped visiting in the pandemic but now they’re giving visitors priority which is okay, but it's their choice to come and visit and there’s buses on for them at certain times in the day."
The measures were reportedly meant to be in place from the start of this month, however staff are still being allowed to park onsite until everybody has been informed whether they are eligible for a fob. However, staff believe they will have to cope with an "enormous" amount of stress when the restrictions are eventually brought in.
The staff member said: "People are already looking for other jobs. The job is stressful enough without having to worry about getting to work as well.
"We’ve paid for driving lessons, and a car and then insurance to be told we should get the bus. It just doesn’t seem fair. Everyone is stressed and we’re short staffed enough as it is.
“After people have worked through covid and put their lives at risk to help the hospital, it just doesn’t seem fair for them to do something like this.”
Another source told the ECHO the measures have prompted concerns about staff safety and a feeling that patients will receive a poorer standard of care because staff are struggling to get to work.
They said: "The l ast thing anyone wants is to be walking down Arrowe Park road in the depths of winter after 12 hours on their feet, often distressing days, to wait half an hour for a bus, then have a half an hour ride home- when it would take 10 minutes door to door in your own car."
A Wirral University Teaching Hospital spokesperson said: “All staff are required to park in designated staff car parks on the hospital campuses and to ensure that patient car parks are kept free for patients who need it when they visit our hospitals. While our hospitals were quieter in terms of patient visiting during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have now returned to normal levels and must be able to accommodate patients and visitors on our hospital campuses.
"This return of patients and visitors has not impacted on our designated staff parking capacity. We do have enough parking spaces for all staff who meet the current criteria for accessing a staff car parking fob.
"However, some patient and staff spaces are temporarily unavailable due to enabling works to create new roadways and entrances for ambulances as part of building our new Urgent and Emergency Care facility at Arrowe Park Hospital.
“We have been engaging with staff about any changes to car parking and are always open to feedback. We encourage anyone who feels they should meet the current criteria for fob access to contact the Security Team at Arrowe Park to discuss this further.”
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