Estates Divisional Publication Scheme Car Parking Information The information you requested is as follows: - Please note Financial Year information provided relates to 2010 / 2011. Capacity 1 How many spaces are currently available in all your car parking sites in total and how many of these have been allocated for: a b disabled spaces and for priority parking for other groups, please specify? The following car parking spaces are available at the three hospitals that comprise the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:- Leighton Hospital (MCHFT) Total of 1769 parking bays There are a total of 68 parking bays for disabled visitors, patients and staff. The only preferential parking at Leighton is for Consultant medical staff. Victoria Infirmary Northwich (VIN) Total of 161 parking bays There are a total of 19 parking bays for disabled visitors, patients and staff. The only preferential parking at the VIN is for Consultant medical staff. Elmhurst Total of 25 parking bays There are a total of 2 parking bays for disabled visitors, patients and staff. 2 How many: a in-patient admissions and b out-patient appointments c bed spaces have you had in the last financial year (or equivalent 12 month reporting period)? Information requested above about the Trust is as follows:- a)total Number of Admissions from 01/04/10 to 31/03/11 Leighton VIN Elmhurst 69047 413 366
b) Total Number of Outpatient Appointments from 01/04/10 to 31/03/11 Leighton VIN Elmhurst 265802 46400 0 c) Total Available Bed Days from 01/04/10 to 31/03/11 Leighton VIN Elmhurst 212614 675 10950 3 For which of the following people does your hospital provide priority parking: a patients with mobility problems (e.g. Blue Badge holders) b patients attending A&E, c women in labour d other, please specify Hospitals at the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provide the following priority parking:- Leighton There are emergency drop off / collection points in the Hospitals Treatment Centre, A+E, Michael Heal Unit, Mental Health, Outpatients and Main Entrance areas. There is also priority parking for patients with mobility problems / blue badge holders across the site. VIN There are emergency drop off / collection points in the Hospitals Minor Injuries and Lodge Entrances. There is also priority parking for patients with mobility problems / blue badge holders across the site. Elmhurst There is priority parking available for patients with mobility problems / blue badge holders Payment mechanisms 4 Which of the following payment mechanisms are in place in your main car park? a Pay and display b Barrier mechanism and payment on departure c Other, please specify Information in relation to payment mechanisms is as follows: - Leighton There are pay and display and pay on foot payment mechanisms in place. VIN There are pay and display payment mechanisms in place. Elmhurst There are no charges for car parking at the Elmhurst site.
Payment types 5 Which of the following payment types are offered to the users of your main car parks? a Coin only b Debit or credit card only c d Debit or credit card and coin Other, please specify 1. If you accept payments in coins at your main car parking facility, do you have a change machine at close proximity i.e. within 200 metres of the car park? The Trust s Pay on Foot machines will issue change, however our Pay and Display machines will not. There is no additional change machines onsite at Leighton or at the VIN. Information in relation to payment types at the Trust is as follows: - Leighton Payment types which are accepted for parking are coins, notes, cheques and debit / credit card (limitations apply certain payment methods only available during office hours). VIN Payment types which are accepted for parking are coins, notes and debit / credit cards (limitations apply certain payment methods only available during office hours). Penalties 7 How many times have any of the following penalty mechanisms been used with respect to any of your hospital car parks in the last financial year (or equivalent 12 month reporting period)? a Parking ticket with financial penalty b Clamping c Towing d Other, please specify In terms of penalties, the Trust only issues civil penalty notices. In the last 12 months 356 notices have been issued on the Trust s car parks. 1. In the last financial year how much income have you of the company operating your car park(s) generated in total from (i) car parking fees (e.g. pay and display) and (ii) penalty mechanisms (e.g. fines, clamping release fees)? During the financial year April 2010-31 March 2011, income generated from car parking at the Trust:- (i) Car parking fees (patients, visitors and staff): 1,507,931 (ii) Parking fines (parking tickets): 3,162
Ownership 9 Who manages your main car park? (e.g. the Trust, a contractor or a PPP). Car parking at all three hospital sites is managed by the Trust. Complaints 10 How many complaints has your hospital received in the past 12 months on hospital car parking from users (not including staff members)? During the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011, the Trust received 8 complaints about car parking. Information 11 Please describe how you inform users of your car park about your concessionary car parking policies, including whether such information is provided a b c d e in notices in the car park, in the hospital wards, on your hospital's website, in correspondence to patients (e.g. appointment letters) any other medium, please specify Concessionary tickets are publicised on each Ward, at the barriers, at the Pay stations, on a number of signs across the site and the information is printed on the back of each ticket issued from the barriers. In addition this information is also available on the Trust s website. Charging and profits 12 In each of the last three financial years, have your car park(s) operated a at a profit; b at a loss; or c on a break even basis? The Trust car parks have operated at a profit in the last 3 financial years 1. Please give full details of the fee charging structure in the hospital s main car park (i.e. different rates and parking periods available) and whether there is a minimum charge in place. The charging structure for visitors / patients is:- 0-25 Minutes Free of Charge 25 Minutes - 4 Hours 3 4 Hours - 24 Hours 5 24 Hours - 7 Days 10 (Passcard Ticket)
2. Do your car park(s) cap charges or have season tickets for any patient groups? If so, which patient groups benefit, and under what circumstances? Weekly tickets are available at a rate of 10 and give unlimited parking permissions with the 7 days. The tickets are publicised on each Ward, at the barriers, at the Pay-stations, on a number of signs across the site and the information is printed on the back of each ticket issued from the barriers. Currently the following groups receive free parking: 1) Oncology / Cancer Patients 2) Renal Patients 3) Families / Friends of those patients who are terminally ill. 3. How much total profit, if any, did your car park(s) make in the last financial year (1 April 2008-31 March 2009 or equivalent 12 month reporting period)? During the financial year April 2010-31 March 2011, the Trust made a net profit of 637,682 from car parking. All Income generated from car parking charges funds the provision, maintenance and security of our car parks - making grounds improvements, such as resurfacing, external lighting, pedestrian walkways and security barriers, improving the overall experience of visiting our hospitals. It also funds the provision of security staff and CCTV cameras, enabling the Trust to safeguard our staff, visitors and their cars. 4. Do you reimburse patients for the additional car parking fees or penalties they have paid if appointments are delayed for reasons beyond their control? Please provide details of how this system operates. If so, what percentage of claims were reimbursed in your hospital in the last financial year or equivalent 12 month reporting period? Currently we offer re-imbursement / free egress for those patients who have attended the hospitals but their appointment has unfortunately been cancelled. Arrangements are made with the Security Office to facilitate this. This is however completed on an ad hoc basis and is not recorded. Other 17 What is the average length of stay of your car park users? Average length of stay at the Trust s car parks is as follows: - Leighton Over the last four weeks there have been approx 50,000 car park exits recorded between 0 and 24 hours on our Pay on Foot system (This does not include the three Pay and Display car parks).
25,000 have exited the car parks between 0 and 60 minutes 14,000 have exited the car parks between 60 minutes and 120 minutes. 4,600 have exited the car parks between 120 minutes and 180 minutes. 6,400 have exited the car parks between 180 minutes and 24 hours. VIN There is no stay length information available from the VIN as the site is Pay and Display controlled. Elmhurst There is no stay length information available as there are no car park control measures in place. 18 What is the maximum distance patients and visitors will have to walk from a car park space in your main car park to hospital entrance? The maximum distance patients and visitors have to walk from car park to entrance to the hospitals is as follows: - Leighton All of the Hospitals visitor car parking spaces are located within 300yds of an entrance. VIN All of the Hospitals visitor car parking spaces are located within 200yds of an entrance. Elmhurst All of the Hospitals visitor car parking spaces are located within 200yds of an entrance. 19 When did you last consult a LINks b inpatients and outpatients and c the local wider community on the hospital s car parking arrangements? 1. When did you last review your car parking arrangements and when are you planning to review those next? The last update to the Trust s parking charge structure was in April 2006. There are no plans to update this in the immediate future. In response to questions a,b & c above: - a) The Trust has consulted with LINks within the last 8 weeks. This was in relation to information surrounding Trust parking arrangements.
b). and c). The Trust is continually consulting with the local communities with relation to parking arrangements and the available concessions. As a Trust we are dedicated to regular information updates within our websites, inpatient / outpatient leaflets, promotional materials, signage and local media. The Trust also facilitates regular meetings with patient and visitor groups such as the PPI forum and Divisional Board to discuss our current policies and procedures.