Fines for visitors parking in staff car parks at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary

New parking rules at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary mean visitors will be fined for parking in staff car parks.
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Under the Morecambe Bay Health Trust's new staff parking system, car park attendants will record the presence of unauthorised vehicles in staff areas and fines will be issued for unauthorised parking.

The Trust is implementing a new permit system at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Westmorland General Hospital and Furness General Hospital from April 1 2022 to address pressures on staff parking at the three sites.

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Parking is challenging at all three hospitals, especially at the RLI, and a new parking policy is being introduced from April to prioritise access for workers who need it most.

Lancaster Royal Infirmary. Photo: Kelvin StuttardLancaster Royal Infirmary. Photo: Kelvin Stuttard
Lancaster Royal Infirmary. Photo: Kelvin Stuttard

Leanne Cooper, interim chief operating officer, said: “Parking at our sites is limited, and we would encourage everyone – staff, patients and visitors – to avoid driving to our hospitals unless it is essential.

“We recognise that parking can be difficult for patients and visitors too but it is vital that we keep allocated spaces free for our teams so they are able to be at work on time to provide services for our communities.

"To assist our teams, we would urge members of the public who need to drive to our hospital to only use the public pay-and-display car parks and avoid staff areas, which will be clearly marked.”

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A spokesman for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust (UHMBT) said: "UHMBT has employed attendants in its car parks for some time now.

"Their role is not solely monitoring and enforcement, they also provide a service to the public who may be unfamiliar with the layout of our sites, or who may need help accessing sites because of a disability or mobility issue.

"Permission for staff to use staff car parks will be allocated based on a number of factors, including journey-from home time, distance, working hours, mobility impairment and caring responsibility.

"While the new policy does include provision for the issue of fines for unauthorised or inappropriate parking, there will be an onus on working with staff to resolve issue without use of financial penalties.

"Fines will be issued to members of the public who park in staff areas.

"Signs will be clearly displayed highlighting these rules.”

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