Patients are backing a plan for more parking at Stoke-on-Trent’s main hospital. It follows Royal Stoke University Hospital lodging a planning application for an overflow car park with more than 60 spaces.
But StokeonTrentLive readers say the Royal Stoke needs hundreds of extra parking spaces – not 60.
Stephanie Goodwin said: “The parking situation at the Royal Stoke is horrendous. You are driving round for almost an hour for a space.”
Michelle Brookes said: “My daughter had a very poorly seven-month-old in her car last week and it took her an hour to find somewhere to park. In the end she put it on double-yellow lines near A&E and got a ticket. It is disgusting that there wasn’t one space on any of the car parks.”
Kayleigh Axon last month spent 20 minutes searching for a parking space near A&E – with a sick two-year-old in the car.
She added: “I realised it would have been quicker to drive past the hospital, go 10 minutes to my in-laws, and ask them to drop us off which at the time didn’t cross my mind.”
Julie Crawford said: “I go every week and I’m disabled and it’s a nightmare to get parked. My family member sets off two hours before my appointment – it is awful.”
Michelle Levitt has resorted to getting a lift to and from the Royal Stoke – and tries to get appointments at County Hospital, in Stafford, instead.
She added: “I have to get a lift there because it’s impossible to find a parking space. I pick Stafford any day if there’s an option.”
Julia James has one simple solution to the problem.
She said: “Maybe if you didn’t have to wait four hours for your appointment there would be more spaces too.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council is expected to rule on the planning application within weeks. The proposed overflow car park is off Hilton Road, in Hartshill.
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