Lack of car parking a danger for nurses at Box Hill Hospital

NURSES fear they will be viciously attacked while walking kilometres through dark streets due to “dire” staff parking issues at Box Hill Hospital.

Minister for Health David Davis to welcomes the first patient to the new Box Hill Hospital. Sarah Iannelli with her newborn Darcy Darragh from Kilsyth. The transfer of patients from the old facility to the new begins on Tuesday morning. Picture: Nicole Garmston

NURSES at Box Hill Hospital say “dire” staff parking issues have created an unsafe situation where they are forced to walk for kilometres through dark streets to their cars.

Staff car spaces are so scarce that the hospital’s waiting list for off-street parking is hundreds of names long, with some nurses having waited for more than 10 years for a spot to become available.

Eastern Health acknowledged staff and visitor parking at the hospital is an issue, and said it was continually looking at ways to improve the situation.

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A Box Hill Hospital nurse, who asked not to be named, said staff had to walk up to 15 minutes from the hospital to find parking in residential streets without time restrictions.

“Nurses don’t feel safe having to walk kilometres in the dark back to their cars after the night shift,” the nurse said.

“We’ve asked for security guards to walk us back to our cars, but they’re not allowed to leave the hospital.”

The nurse said staff were fearful of walking through places like neighbouring Box Hill Gardens, which was the location of a vicious attack on a young woman in September 2012.

“It’s always in the back of our minds,” the nurse said.

“Many nurses work with aggressive or unstable patients, so they’re worried about being followed back to their cars.”

The nurse said she and others were frustrated at preferential treatment given to doctors over nurses.

“Doctors automatically get a parking space, but nurses have to go on a waiting list and I know of some nurses who have been here for 10 years and still haven’t got a spot,” she said.

“We were promised better car parking with the hospital redevelopment, but they haven’t come through on that.”

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said she hoped the staff parking issues could be resolved quickly.

“The safety of staff and affordability should be at the core of every public hospital’s parking strategy,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

Eastern Health executive director of corporate projects and sustainability Zoltan Kokai said the hospital had initiatives to encourage staff to use alternative transport.

“Eastern Health also operates a shuttle bus for staff who park in carparks further away from the main hospital site,” Mr Kokai said.