Coventry hospital trials one-way system to ease congestion

A West Midlands hospital is trialling a one-way system for four days to help ease traffic congestion that has caused delays for emergency vehicles.

Ambulances will be able to approach University Hospital in Coventry by the usual route but general traffic will be diverted elsewhere on site.

An NHS spokesman said it would "relieve some of the issues" despite claims it would not help patients and staff.

The diversions will be in place between 09:00 and 17:00 BST until Thursday.

Coventry resident Tony Swann said he has been affected by the congestion problems while taking his wife to the hospital for chemotherapy treatment.

'Ambulance stuck'

He said: "As far as emergency services go I think it's going to help enormously.

"We're not going to see what we saw two or three weeks ago with an ambulance on blue lights stuck in the traffic jam.

"As far as general public attending the hospital for appointments and clinics, I don't think it's going to make any difference at all to them.

"They're still going to queue because they can't magic an extra 200 car parking spaces."

Lincoln Dawkin, director of estates at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, urged the public to adhere to the diversions.

Mr Dawkin said: "I hope that these actions, on top of the extra 50 spaces for members of the public we released in February, show that we are being proactive and finding ways now to improve the congestion on site in the short-term for our patients, visitors and staff.

"During the week we may have the need to change the diversions around dependant on traffic flow."

He added that the hospital has submitted a planning application for a second access road at the rear of site and additional parking spaces.