The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has announced a number of changes that will impact car parking at Rotherham Hospital and Rotherham Community Health Centre.
Car parks are often busy, with patients and visitors having to drive around looking for available spaces. The Trust are investing in the hospital’s public car park by resurfacing areas and relining the entire car park. The layout of the car park is also being altered which will enable additional spaces to be created. In addition, there will be more disabled bays provided.
A new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system will also be installed in early February, which will monitor all vehicles entering the site through the two entrances from Moorgate Road. The ANPR system will also be installed at Rotherham Community Health Centre on Greasbrough Road. Vehicles leaving the sites within 30 minutes will not be charged.
When the system goes live later this week, payment can be made by cash or card at one of the payment machines by entering the vehicle registration number. Alternatively, payment can be made online up to 24 hours after leaving.
Scott Dickinson, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “We understand parking can be frustrating, particularly if you are worried about an appointment or a loved one. By creating additional spaces, we hope to ease some of the stress and help to make the car park and site safer for pedestrians and the emergency services by preventing vehicles from parking on roads, junctions, paths and verges.
“The removal of the ticket machines and barriers, along with a choice of how and when to pay should also improve traffic flow through the car park.
“We are lucky in Rotherham to have such a large car park on the hospital site, which is something many other Trusts don’t have. However, we encourage anyone who is able to use alternative means of transport.”
Concessions are available for blue badge holders, patients receiving cancer treatment or needing to attend frequent appointments. Details are available on the car parking page of the Trust’s website.
Work is ongoing to make the changes to the car park, with the new ANPR payment system going live in the next week. Some disruption is expected while work to the car park is ongoing, but every effort is being made to keep this to a minimum.