Ambulance bays outside hospitals are being used as parking places by some drivers in a “nightmare” situation for crews. North Wales Live was contacted by a concerned ambulance service worker after previously raising the situation with health bosses.
They said they were often finding cars blocking the ambulance bays at hospitals in the region. While these were not emergency ambulance bays the whistleblower said it was making life a “nightmare” for crews and patients and that at times they are needed by emergency ambulances for urgent transfers.
An image supplied by the staff member highlighted the problem at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor but they said similar things were also happening at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan and Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox.
When contacted by North Wales Live the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said “misuse of these spaces can impede healthcare operations and our ability to respond effectively to patients” and urged all drivers to observe parking guidelines.
The staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Getting to those bays is a nightmare due to the approach being blocked by staff and visitors alike, we have as staff complained to both Betsi and WAST (Welsh Ambulance Service Trust) to sort these issues urgently, like memos to staff, handing out parking fines but nothing is being done about it. All we want is to ensure safe passage for our patients which is sometimes proving impossible.
“This is the same each and every night, and now apparently during the day too, this needs to be sorted because we are finding it harder and harder to park near entrances at Bangor, Glan Clwyd, and Wrexham, even getting to the ambulance bays is an impossible task due to parking on the approach road to it.”
Dr Sree Andole, BCUHB’s interim executive medical director, said: “All parking bays designated for ambulances on our sites remain exclusively for their use, as these spaces are critical for maintaining patient safety and efficient service delivery.
“While this area is not used by emergency ambulances, it is still not appropriate for general parking. Misuse of these spaces can impede healthcare operations and our ability to respond effectively to patients.
“We all have a shared responsibility to act thoughtfully, especially when it comes to guaranteeing access for emergency vehicles. We work closely with our colleagues in the Welsh Ambulance Service to try and minimise these issues, which is why we prioritise access and parking for ambulances
“I encourage both staff and visitors to consider alternative transport options, where possible, and to please observe our parking guidelines, such as double red lines for emergency routes, disabled spaces and dedicated ambulance parking.”
WAST said they were letting Betsi health board lead on the issue.
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