Boom gates have been installed in some Mackay Base Hospital carparks to improve the availability of parking for patients and visitors.
Hospital engineering staff began testing and programming the gates this morning in the lead up to the gates being in use next month.
Chief Executive Jo Whitehead said the two larger public carparks would now open at 8am to ensure more parks were available for patients and visitors.
“We have trialled limiting access to these parks by closing them overnight for a few months and this has resulted in more carparks being available from 8am,” she said.
There are two separate dedicated carparks for service contractors and hospital workers rostered on day shifts.
Afternoon and evening staff are able to use the car parks closest to the hospital.
The Mackay Hospital and Health Board is not currently considering the introduction of paid car parking.
Patients and visitors needing to arrive by vehicle before 8am have a choice of being dropped off or parking at the front of the hospital outside the main entrance on Bridge Rd or in the car park outside outpatients and the dental unit.
The car park outside outpatients and dental unit is now staffed in the early hours to make sure the parking is available to patients and visitors only.
Patients needing to access Emergency Department at this time of the morning should also use this car park.
Use of the other public car park outside the main entrance on Bridge Rd remains unchanged and is restricted to two hour maximum stays only.
Mackay HHS commissioned an independent review to make traffic and parking improvement proposals for the hospital.
The review found the hospital had an adequate number of carparks and concluded that staggering opening times of the existing car parks would result in better availability for the public.
As part of the traffic review staff were invited to submit their solutions to car parking issues.
“I’m pleased we have been able to work towards a solution using input from staff and believe we have come up with a strategy that meets everyone’s needs,” Ms Whitehead said.
The Hospital currently has a total of 1121 car parking spaces available for staff and public use, of which more than half are reserved for the public.
More Information
Danielle Jesser, Media and Communications Manager
mhhs-comms@health.qld.gov.au
Phone 0417 756 221
