Cameras to monitor parking at Bridgnorth Hospital
A new camera-operated system is to be introduced at a hospital in the New Year – in order to ensure more spaces for patients.
Bridgnorth Hospital car park is free to use but hospital patients and visitors have often been frustrated by a lack of space, with some people using it as a base to leave their vehicle before heading into town.
Now Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is responding to that feedback by having a new system installed by a company called Park Solve.
The system, which goes live on January 8, will read vehicle number plates upon entry. Hospital patients and visitors will be required to enter their registration details on a machine inside the Main Entrance and will then face no charge as long as they leave within 24 hours. Anyone leaving the site without inputting their details will be liable to a fine from Park Solve, who operate the same system at a number of other hospitals.
Rachel Mole, clinical services manager at Bridgnorth Hospital, said: “We have had a problem with inappropriate parking on this site for many years, and it can be frustrating and stressful for patients when they come for an appointment at the hospital.
“We did not want to introduce parking charges so have been looking for other solutions and the system from Park Solve seems to be the best option.
“It is important to state that patients and visitors to the hospital will, as now, face no charge at all to use our car park.”They will simply have to enter their registration details on a machine in the hospital and can then go about their business as normal.
“We are announcing this now to give people plenty of notice about the change. There are a number of other car parks locally for shoppers and visitors to Bridgnorth that we would encourage people to use if they have no business at the hospital.”
Bridgnorth Hospital has 43 spaces in its main car park, as well as four spaces for blue badge holders and three patient drop-off spaces.
On any given day, the site can see upwards of 200 people through its doors to attend clinics, go to the Minor Injuries Unit or to visit patients. The site also hosts the Bridgnorth Midwife-Led Unit.
