Parking not fault of staff

Express and Star
27 June 06

Letters
We read with dismay your attack on staff parking at Russells Hall Hospital (May 17). This is a situation not of the staff's making and we wish to clarify how this has occurred.
Following yet another reconfiguration of the car parks last month, it had already been reported that staff took up to two hours to park and after the intense negotiation over a period of two weeks the staff were allocated the car park at the maternity entrance.
The visitors' car park now runs from opposite the accident and emergency department, past the main entrance to the maternity entrance, opposite the new staff car park, with access only from the island.
Parking is readily available only a few meters from the old maternity car park and after dropping off mothers-to-be, partners will have the same distance to drive to access a large car park with plenty of empty spaces.
The fact that this car park is only half full is due to the greed of a profit-motivated company taking advantage of patients and visitors and inflating prices by 500 per cent overnight. This has forced visitors to park in surrounding streets alongside staff who are still unable to park and who can not afford the exorbitant fees charged at the hospital.
It is hoped that the eventual building of the car park at the rear of the site will ease staff parking and the on-street parking in the immediate vicinity.
However, if you care to visit the hospital, you will find that as a visitor you will find it easy to park, with easy access to the entire hospital frontage.
Unfortunately, as a regular visitor, you will be unable to afford to.
Stephen Astill, on behalf of Staff Representative Committee, Unison, Dudley Group of Hospitals.