New parking rules will come into force at Darlington Memorial Hospital today after years of complaints from visitors and patients.
Hospital bosses say a new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking system will make it easier for visitors who've complained of missed appointments and frustration circling the car park in recent years.
The system, launching on Thursday (May 21) replaces paper tickets and uses cameras to record vehicle registration numbers as drivers enter the car parks.
It comes after the County Durham and Darlington NHS trust completed a review into their carpark system following numerous complaints last year.
The Echo told how on one occasion a woman missed her grandmothers death after she found herself 'stuck' in the overcrowded car park and once parked up come across two broken ticket machines before finding one that worked.
Under the new system, drivers will enter the car park as normal before paying for parking by entering their vehicle registration number at a payment machine before leaving.
Drivers who enter and leave the site without parking will be given a 20-minute grace period.
Blue Badge holders can scan their Blue Badge at the payment machine before leaving.
The Trust and Synchronicity Care Limited, the company owned by the trust which looks after its estates services, said they recognise that parking can be challenging at busy hospital sites and have been working to improve access and parking management at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Alison McCree, Managing Director for Synchronicity, said: “We know how important parking is for our patients, visitors and staff, and we recognise that it can sometimes be challenging at busy hospital sites.
“The new system will simplify the parking process by removing paper tickets and improving how the car park operates day-to-day.
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“There is also a 20-minute grace period for drivers who enter and leave without parking, helping ensure people are not charged if they are unable to find a space.
“We would like to thank patients, visitors, staff and local residents for their patience while these works have been carried out.”
Further changes are expected in the future.
What do you think of the changes? Have you ever had a bad experience in the car park? Let us know in the comments.
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