Hospital parking
Car park operator Q-Park’shead of healthcare, Jim Rayner,talks about how to get it right
Car parks that are sympathetically designed and well run are an unquestionable boon to drivers, however key to making parking a positive experience is appreciation of its purpose. At Q-Park we recognise the unique sensitivities of healthcare sites, and are fully aware that patients and visitors rarely visit by choice - often under difficult circumstances - and staff experience significant challenges and emotional pressure during their working day. Running a healthcare site car park therefore needs a special approach, and if done right, it can prove an invaluable resource for Trusts, patients, visitors and staff.
Quality and experience
Effective healthcare sector car parks need to combine high quality service with strong management skills. Along with our experience in setting up and managing service level agreements, KPIs, parking policies and codes, we provide every site with a ‘bible’ of how things are to be done, reflecting Q-Park’s high standards and the specific requirements of the Trust and the site. We have an open, honest and much appreciated style with many testaments.
Accessibility
Ready access to parking spaces is vital and achieving it is a key task for an efficient healthcare site car park operator. Q-Park advises on and redesigns car park layouts to achieve realistic and safe configurations of parking spaces, including planning for peak visiting times. We’ve also developed our own on-line staff permit management system, which can also respond to and implement key elements of travel plans, removing much of the administrative burden from the Trust. This robust system is in place in some very large and challenging locations — some with very complex permit qualification criteria.
Tariffs
Emotions run high when it comes to hospital parking charges, with accusations of “taxing the sick” often made. But where are the complaints about paying for petrol to get to hospital, or taxing the car so you can legally drive there? Most people are unaware that the average spend is less than the cost of a pint of beer, and this has pay for providing the parking spaces and services in the first place, and maintaining them. It must also subsidise the concessionary tariffs that a wise Trust and parking operator should put in place; and there is no getting away from the fact that Trusts need to earn revenue to put towards patient care.
Staffing
Prudent staff selection and healthcare-focused, on-going training is vital to successful management of the challenges of the hospital site. Our Parking Hosts are carefully and comprehensively trained to ensure they are accessible, approachable, helpful and confident in their tasks and knowledge. Security
We believe that car park staff should be trained and resourced to support professional security personnel when needed. Q-Park welcomes the practical overlaps between the two services, and we have many examples of successful working relationships. Importantly, our patrols act as additional observational security, and always provide appropriate assistance in security situations.
We invest heavily in high-performing CCTV systems, which, along with the physical presence of our patrols offers significant re-assurance to Trust staff and further confirmation of the positive returns on their money and co-operation.
Keeping things moving
Parking is a ‘people system’, and as such must always incorporate flexibility, fairness and practicality. This is particularly pertinent at a healthcare site, and we therefore train our staff to be fair and firm, whilst using moderation and discretion at all times. Encountering people in distress on a daily basis is part and parcel of running a hospital car park and it is absolutely vital that staff are compassionate, and assess each car parking ‘infringement’ on its merits. As Q-Park staff at the Royal Surrey Hospital explained: “There are so many genuine reasons why a car might have been parked in the wrong place, in-coming tickets haven’t been collected or money isn’t available to pay for them. Our job is to help all we can and try and lift people’s anxieties in our own small way.” Accordingly, we see enforcement simply as a means to keep things moving rather than a source of profitable revenue.
Getting it right
Q-Park has been lightening the load for the healthcare sector for 10years, managing car parks at 10 major NHS Trusts UK-wide. We don’t promise the earth — that is not realistic. But we do know how to get it right and make a genuine and lasting difference.
Hospital car parks patently require flexible teams with specialist training, patience, common sense, and a willingness to help and support every car park user and the hospital itself. It is not an easy task, but with the right people, experience, systems and investment by the operator, the site will thrive.
