VINCI Park says it ‘understands that a hospital car park needs to balance the demands of patients, visitors, and staff without compromising emergency vehicles’ access to A&E’.
”However,” the company added, “we also understand that car parks need continuous investment to cover the costs of new infrastructure, and meet future demand. The maintenance of hospital car parks is a vital and often costly area for any Trust, and these costs may prove a struggle to meet in the current economic climate. The use of private operators can provide the investment needed to meet the costs involved in delivering the best possible parking services.”
Aside from additional expertise and saving time, VINCI Park acknowledges that the main incentive for using a private parking operator is saving money, ‘which can then be focused on core service budgets and commitments to cost savings’. The company said: “The investment provided from a private operator can potentially save millions of pounds when considering major new infrastructure projects. Added to this, the high cost of specialist technology – from new ticket machines to the most efficient lighting and electronic signage – can again be met by a private operator investing in the future of the site. Staffing costs, along with the specialist training, uniforms, and the maintenance knowledge needed to guarantee the best service to users, can also be taken on by a private operator employing its own staff.”
According to VINCI Park, facilities teams often make the case for non-core services by asking people to imagine what life would be like if they were taken away. The company said: “With parking, that means imagining a hospital with no accessible spaces, no staff to help direct people, and increased journey times for staff and patients. Without a car park, the latter group is going to put their car wherever they can – even if they accidentally block the ambulance route through to A&E.
“This could, of course, have a knock-on effect on the hospital’s efficiency, staff morale, and patient perception. This may make you think that parking doesn’t seem so ‘non-core’ any more. As market-leaders in hospital parking management, we offer a full range of solutions to improve traffic flow – ones that allow emergency vehicles unobstructed access, enhance the patient and visitor experience, and reduce nuisance and dangerous parking, while making cost savings.”
