Car Parking

Very regretfully the RSCH will increase car park charges from 1 April and payment will now be by the hour instead of in 2 hour slots. The hospital claims that charges are in line with other major hospitals. On the brighter side the cost for parking for 6 to 24 hours has been reduced and there are no changes in the cost of weekly tickets or for the Oncology patients' car park. Blue badge holders will continue to have free parking in designated disabled bays. Why blue badge holders cannot have free parking in any bay is a mystery to me.

If there is an upside it is that the increased revenue will assist the hospital to move to a better parking system and get rid of the present hated way of paying up front and topping up. It is hoped in due course to return to pay on exit e.g. by automatic number plate recognition, as well as providing the opportunity for card payments. Strategically a multi-story car park is recognised as the answer.

Finally there will be more public parking spaces. 32 staff parking spaces are being converted to public spaces – good for the public, bad for staff!!

Dementia

I reported in an earlier blog that RSCH was becoming very active in providing care specific to patients woith dementia. That work is continuing well. I have now joined the Trust's Dementia Steering Group and have attended my first meeting. The Group is impressive and includeds representatives of the University which is active in research in this area, the County Council and the Alzheimers Society.

The hospital has just been subject to a National Dementia Audit  which includes an organisational checklist and an audit of the case notes of 40 patients. Overall performance was good. Of the 47 questions which relate to the most serious matters, the hospital needed to improve on 4. Of the 94 questions  on standards which RSCH should be expected to meet in normal practice, 12 needed improvement and of the 11 questions which RSCH should meet to achieve excellent practice there was just one where improvement was required. Action is in place to achieve improvement wherever that was deemed necessary.