A huge change to the system for staff parking at Bristol’s biggest hospital is sparking controversy, with some staff telling Bristol Live that people are going to have to give up their jobs if they aren’t one of the ones awarded a new permit to park there.
Bosses at North Bristol NHS Trust told staff they had to act because the existing system leaves people working on twilight shifts forced to park long distances from the hospital and having to walk back to their cars late at night in the dark.
The North Bristol NHS Trust said they had 6,000 permits in circulation and only 1,500 parking spaces, and that was more than double the number of permits which could sustainably be used. So trust bosses decided over the summer to completely scrap the permit system and start again. They have created a system where staff apply for a parking permit, and a decision made based on a set of criteria which includes how far that member of staff lives away – both in terms of distance and time – and whether there’s a public transport alternative, and also a professional or personal reason for that member of staff having a parking permit.
The new system has created 12 different parking permits, ranging from one that gives staff a permit to the car park 24 hours a day, to one which limits access to certain hours or days of the week. But the result means that thousands of members of staff face not getting a parking permit in the new system, sparking upheaval and uncertainty for staff.
In social media groups and forums for Southmead Hospital staff, many have said they are considering leaving their jobs if they can’t park in the staff car park any more, while others said they face two or three hour bus journeys from South Wales and Gloucestershire and back again each day.
“The Trust’s social media page is littered with alarming examples of individuals declined parking passes in the hospital,” said one member of staff, who contacted Bristol Live.
“There are wards and departments where the majority of the staff have been refused permits, now worrying how they will function. The reality is these staff have dedicated years, chosen and built-up homes and lifestyles around this workplace.
“If they don’t get a permit, they now fear they won’t be able to exit safely at all hours and return home daily, without extensive public service reliability on limited bus availability, and this may extend the working day by up to three hours after gruelling shifts,” she added.
North Bristol NHS Trust has told staff it intends to issue the permits with a fairer system than present, using a ‘one NBT’ policy which treats every member of staff equally, no matter how senior their role is.
“Parking at Southmead Hospital is frequently difficult or even impossible,” a spokesperson said. “It is easily the most complained about aspect of working at NBT and increasingly has led to serious safety concerns being raised – most notably for staff working twilight shifts, but also due to cars blocking emergency access routes.
“Underpinning the problem are two main issues: firstly, that the trust currently has 6,000 permits in circulation for 1,500 spaces and, secondly, that staff arriving after 10am, on twilight shifts, are forced to park long distances from site – often necessitating long walks in the dark.
“For context, 6,000 is more than double the number of permits which can sustainably be in use. In these circumstances, it simply would not be right for the Trust not to act,” she added.
A spokesperson told Bristol Live that, although many permits have already been issued, there are still permits to be issued and decisions to be made, and many people will still get a permit before the new system begins on November 11.
“Solving this issue has involved some very hard choices,” she said. “Therefore, it has been critical that the starting point be ‘One NBT’, with everyone – irrespective of their role – treated the same and be able to rely on a fair and transparent process. We have also worked hard to keep costs low – there is no monthly charge for anyone under band 8b or equivalent NHS salary – and offer as much flexibility as possible,” she added.