The video, filmed by Cllr Andrew Cross, shows bumper-to-bumper traffic on gridlocked roads at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester as staff deal with an influx of flu patients.
Cllr Cross, a Green city councillor for Leopard Hill and a county councillor for Warndon Parish, filmed the congested roads at the hospital to show what patients, staff and visitors are going through every day, now intensified by winter pressures including a rise in the number of patients with flu.
A second video, also filmed by Cllr Cross, shows the striking contrast at virtually empty County Hall car parks near the hospital.
Cllr Cross feels these deserted car parks could be used to take the strain off patients, their families and staff but so far Worcestershire County Council has not given permission for this to happen, arguing the car parks are still needed for staff and visitors (County Hall remains closed over RAAC concrete and the legionella bacterium).
He hopes the video will persuade more people to sign his petition to open up ’empty’ County Hall car parks to patients, visitors and staff as a temporary solution to reduce the hospital gridlock.
So far, Worcestershire County Council has not given the green light to Cllr Cross’s suggestion, as laid out in the petition.
The use of the car park would be temporary until a park and ride scheme at Sixways is launched or a multi-storey car park near the hospital is built.
WASTE: Cllr Andrew Cross stands in the largely empty car parks at County Hall last December (Image: James Connell/Newsquest photos)
The Green councillor filmed the traffic jam on Tuesday which shows cars hardly moving from the main entrance as traffic heads out towards Newtown Road.
He filmed the chaos as his petition to open up County Hall car parks for patients passed a significant milestone, garnering 1,500 plus signatures.
Cllr Cross said: “The issue of congestion at the hospital has been going on for over 18 months now. People are really fed up of being stuck in long queues while trying to leave the hospital site.
“I feel really sorry for staff, who are facing this every day – stuck in queues with exhaust fumes. The hospital trust are employing security guards with stop/go signs to help keep traffic flowing.
“These workers are having to stand in a fog of exhaust fumes every weekday.
“Yesterday afternoon I popped up to the hospital site and to county hall just after 2pm, to make a video comparison of how busy the car parks were, then returned about 4pm to the hospital to film the congestion. People told me they had “only” been queueing for about 20-25 minutes yesterday.
“Our county council leaders could alleviate this daily misery almost immediately by allowing hospital overspill parking temporarily at some of County Hall’s under-used car parks, while longer-term measures are implemented. They seem bizarrely reluctant to do so, hence the petition https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/open-county-hall-for-hospital-parking”
An update provided by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust today (Wednesday) shows there are still more than 100 hospital patients in Worcestershire hospitals suffering from flu as pressure continues to mount on a busy city emergency department.
Flu combined with the recent cold snap continues to pile pressure on Worcestershire Royal Hospital, the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre.
The petition was launched under a month ago on Friday, December 13 and has been backed by other Green councillors and Liberal Democrat Mel Allcott.
RECOMMENDED READING: Flu update: pressure at ‘busy’ Worcestershire Royal Hospital
RECOMMENDED READING: County Hall closure update over RAAC and legionella
Stephen Collman, Managing Director of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our emergency departments remain extremely busy. Despite the best efforts of our teams who worked exceptionally hard, this has meant longer waits than we would want for some of our patients at times, and we apologise for that.
“With high levels of flu and other winter infections in our community, and with a cold snap and more snow forecast, we are doing everything we can to keep our patients safe and keep our services running effectively.
“We currently have more than 100 patients with flu in our hospitals. To protect our patients, visitors, and staff we have reintroduced mask-wearing in clinical areas across our sites.”
The trust is also limiting visiting to our hospitals as follows: One visitor per patient in Emergency Departments and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) areas; a maximum of two visitors to a bed in all other areas; we are advising that children under the age of 16 do not visit general ward areas.