Call for firms to sponsor hospital parking spaces (From Times Series)

Call for firms to sponsor hospital parking spaces

10:57am Thursday 16th February 2012 in Top Stories By Emma Phippen

Supermarkets could sponsor hospital parking spaces

A councillor has criticised parking costs at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals.

At a meeting of Barnet Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee last night Councillor Brian Schama (Cons, Mill Hill) said Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals should have free parking for visitors.

Cllr Schama said companies or supermarkets could be asked to pay a few thousand pounds a year to sponsor a visitor parking space for a year. This would mean the hospitals would suffer no loss of revenue.

Cllr Schama said the spaces, which are urgently needed - especially at the new Springwell Centre for mental health at the Barnet site - would carry a plaque stating which company they were sponsored by.

Barnet Hospital is also undertaking a survey, which should be completed in a month, to establish whether it has sufficient parking capacity.

The committee expressed concerns that people were struggling to find parking spaces and elderly and disabled people were having difficulties when visiting patients.

The hospital is already attempting to relieve pressure on parking by providing staff with bicycles to travel between sites.

Councillors are also looking at introducing a park and ride system meaning staff can park further from the hospital and take a regular bus to the hospital buildings.

However, the hospital is also hoping to extend the waiting room at its fracture clinic which will remove spaces for a further six to eight cars.