Complaints pour in over paid parking

Car-parking complaints have increased dramatically since Whangarei Hospital introduced paid parking in April. Photo / File

More than six months worth of complaints were received in the weeks after the introduction of paid parking at Whangarei Hospital, although management said it was to be expected.

At the Northland District Health Board (NDHB) meeting this week, chief executive Nick Chamberlain said it was the result of "teething" problems while people adjusted to the new regime.

Thirty-seven carparking complaints were received in May after paid parking was introduced on April 20. Last year, 64 complaints were received in total.

Dr Chamberlain said before the implementation of paid parking he used to regularly get calls from people who missed their appointment because they could not find a park.

"What we need to do is keep monitoring and responding to complaints," he said.

The number of complaints in May spiked significantly from previous months. There were 12 complaints in April, while it ranged between zero and three complaints a month in the six months prior.

The complaints did not appear to be a surprise for board members with some commenting it was surprising it was not higher. No information was available on the nature of complaints. If patients still could not find carparks once the public adjusted to the change, it would be a concern, Dr Chamberlain said.

Chief medical officer Michael Roberts said there were still a couple of reports of missed appointments.

"What I am very much hoping is that as things settle down then that sort of thing will stop," Dr Roberts said, adding it would be interesting to see how the clinical side of the hospital would be impacted by the introduction of paid parking.

Northland DHB is working with the New Zealand Transport Association and Whangarei District Council on a proposal for temporary lights to improve the traffic flows from Hospital Road into Maunu Road. The board originally approved paid parking in 2012 for the public, patients and staff as a way of alleviating congestion.