CAR parking at Craigavon Area Hospital has been described as an 'accident waiting to happen'.
This was raised during the April meeting of the health 'watchdog' the Southern Health and Social Services Council.
The meeting discussed how the lack of available parking spaces has led to parking on the approach road to the hospital as well as el
derly and sick people having to walk considerable distances to the hospital.
Colm Donaghy, chief executive of the Southern Health and Social Services Trust and Anne Balmer, chairman of the Southern Health and Social Services Trust, were in attendance at the meeting to provide an update on the Trust's work.
They explained that the Trust is putting in place a number of measures to free up parking spaces at the front of the hospital and to provide additional places at the rear of the hospital and beside the new psychiatric unit.
Eileen Wright, chairman of the SHSSC, said: "We are delighted to hear that the Trust is taking this matter seriously.
"The lack of parking is both inconvenient and dangerous, at a time when services seem to be increasingly concentrated on the Craigavon site, it is essential there is safe and accessible parking at all hours."
A spokeswoman for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said: “We regret the inconvenience caused to visitors to the Craigavon Area Hospital site by the current pressures on car parking provision.
“Essential work to facilitate the introduction of new services at the hospital, for instance the new fracture service, has created extra pressure on already limited car parking spaces and has caused short term disruption around the site.
The spokeswoman added that work on an additional 167 space car park at the back of the hospital is almost complete, with footpaths and signage due to be completed within the next few weeks.
She said: "Public information will be available advising of the additional space and encouraging visitors to the site to use the new car park.
"Work on a further 150 spaces at the back of the current car park 2, and beside the new psychiatric unit is due to begin.
"Further plans to improve car parking management are being developed and will be subject to a full consultation process."
She concluded: "“We recognise that due to limited space, many people are forced to park outside designated parking areas.
"We would appeal to everyone coming to the site to ensure that they do not block other users, keep all access roads clear and do not block emergency access, respect disabled car parking spaces and please be considerate of pedestrians around the site."
The full article contains 441 words and appears in Lurgan Mail newspaper.
