Hospital parking plan is thrown into chaos

A parking permit scheme for workers at Dudley's three hospitals has been thrown into chaos because of a dispute over who should be allowed a pass.

Around 3,300 staff applied for passes with applications judged on criteria such as how far workers lived from the hospitals.

Workers living within a mile of the sites have been banned from using staff car parks.

But now companies which run some hospital services have refused to apply the new parking restrictions to their 658 workers.

They include cleaners, catering staff and security guards.

Everyone who applied for a pass has been given temporary access while bosses try to resolve the issue, so spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Staff are charged monthly fees to use the new 691-space multi-storey staff car park at Russells Hall, Dudley, as well as car parks at the Guest Hospital in Dudley and the Corbett Hospital in Stourbridge.

Chief executive Paula Clark said: "We have been informed by our PFI partners that they feel unable to apply the parking restrictions to their staff.

"The trust management team feel all staff should be treated in the same way therefore the staff who applied for permits have been granted temporary access while this issue is resolved."

The hospital will also continue to use a temporary park and ride scheme in Dreadnought Road, Pensnett, for three months at a cost of £90,000 while the issue is resolved.

In 2008, the hospital allocated half its capital budget of £12 million to building the multi-storey car park aimed at reducing congestion on neighbouring roads.