Nurses 'abused' for parking near Musgrove Park Hospital

One nurse said she feels "slightly sick" every time she goes to her car

Nurses say they are being abused for parking on residential roads near a Somerset hospital.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has written to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, asking for better parking options for nurses.

Staff currently have to pay to park at the hospital or on residential roads nearby, where they say they are met with abuse.

The hospital said it is "working hard to offer alternatives".

One nurse who wanted to remain anonymous told BBC Radio Somerset that she received abuse when she parked her car on a residential road near Musgrove Park Hospital.

"I came back from work to find a fake parking ticket on my car, and inside was an offensive note, which was really threatening," she said.

"I feel slightly sick every time I go to my car - that anxiety of: will it be damaged? Or just the fact that someone might have a go at me."

Staff said they do not feel safe when they park their cars in hospital car parks

The RCN carried out a survey of 1,000 staff about parking and transport at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Around 90% said that it is "a pressing issue", which affects their working lives and is "as significant as other concerns", such as pay levels and staffing levels.

In response to survey, the RCN is demanding free staff car parking, a fair permit system, an accessible transport-to-work policy and improvements in the cost of public parking.

Lou Dear, regional organiser for RCN, said 2,000 people had signed the letter.

"Our members suffer a lot from issues connected to transport," she added. "For example, they don't feel safe when they park in hospital park car parks.

"They've had damage done to their cars. We need to take action to make sure they feel safe."

The hospital said it is "working hard" to offer alternatives and expand parking provision

A spokesperson for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Like at many hospitals across the country, car parking at both Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital is limited.

"We work closely with our parking providers Q-Park and Simply Serve Limited to manage this resource fairly.

"Parking permits are primarily granted based on travel distance from home, whether they are required to travel between trust locations as part of their roles, and their working hours.

"We are very aware of the impact of travel to our hospitals on our neighbours, particularly at Musgrove Park Hospital, and also recent incidents that have involved our staff.

"We ask our colleagues to act respectfully and we continue to meet regularly with local representatives to talk through issues.

"We do not have enough space to provide onsite parking permits for all colleagues who want one, but are working hard to both offer alternatives and expand parking provision where we can."