Traffic jams at Royal hospital
 

I am due to be at Blackburn Royal today, and after seeing this, I am going by bus one hour early
Hospital Traffic Chaos (from Lancashire Telegraph)

Re: Traffic jams at Royal hospital
 

What I find amazing is that there is a service road that goes down to Shad road witha barrier across. I Queued for 35 minutes the other day to get out. If that road had been opened it would have probably been half that. People were squeezing past the barrier on the pavement but my Volvo was too wide for the gap :(

I wouldn't even mind so much if they made that road staff only! At least it would ease the load on the one junction

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It should be one way only, away from the hospital. The trouble is boy racers and people in fast volvos ;) would drive too fast up it like they used to do.

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That has surprised me we must have been lucky we haven't encountered any problems with traffic when going to appointments.

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Think its to do with the changes in the emergency procedures with emergency going thro blackburn royal, now you'll get more traffic there as its covering, blackburn district, Hyndburn District & now emergencies from burnley & pendle way too. The roads were ok with the traffic flow before these changes came into effect of streamlining hospitals, now it should be reviewed before it becomes a much more serous problem.

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Well as I say we have had no problems and we were there last week and this week.

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they should have left that back road that used to lead to the old part, could have used it as a exit.

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me either but could be dependant on when some people who have had probs, as to whether the influx of traffic was bigger or delays:rolleyes:

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I have had problems with queing to get off the car park, when I took afriend to the outpatients. It was about 5pm, when we were leaving, and there was a lot of traffic coming out of Blackburn Town Centre as well.
As Haslingden Road is one of the major routes from Blackburn town centre to the M65, I would have thought that thhe levels of traffic using the road might have been considered when ths hosptial was being enlarged.
It really does not make any sense that there is only one exit route. But planers never seem to take obvious potential problems into consideration.

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Very true Claytonender, well they dont until too late, then they will be digging the roads up again, like Panther said i cant see why the old slip road from the old building wasn't used & blocked off, the car park is ridiculous :(

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I will be there between 4 and 5 pm - so the bus is my best option - hate driving in the dark, and hate heavy traffic more.

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Margaret are you going on the bus that goes up your way? If you are I would check that they are still running at that time.

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I have got the timetables off the web - the last hosp bus through Ossy is at 2.40pm - so will have to go via Blackburn if I dont get that one

Traveline - Public Transport Info

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Thought as much, it is ridiculous:(

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It is an absolute nightmare. Staff on late shifts (nursing staff and medical staff predominantly) cannot get on the car parks and are having to set off for work much earlier in order to get a space which may be miles away from the building. When the shifts finish at 9-930pm they then have to walk in the dark to their cars, believe me this is spooky...... There are dozens of weirdos hanging round hospital grounds and many of the female staff feel it is unsafe.
There are no car park problems on late shifts at weekends which goes to show that the hundreds of office staff, managers, clinic staff etc take up the vast majority of the spaces. They are looking for volunteers to park on JJB car park and get a shuttle bus service. The nursing staff won't volunteer because if they get off a late shift late (which is often the case), they will then have to walk to JJB in the dark..

I think that the solution is to allocate JJB parking to the staff who only work days. Tell them that this is where they will park and take away their parking permits so that they cannot get onto the car park. Of course, this solution is way too simple for the powers that be to comprehend. They would probably rather spend thousands of pounds and man hours in meetings to discuss it then, take the most expensive, least effective option...:D

Patients can generally get to appointments on time if they use the bus...If, of course, there is one..:rolleyes:

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I also believe the staff car park is too small. Staff have to pay for a parking permit, which is disgusting for a start. When the staff car park is full they have little choice but to pay again and park on the normal car park.

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Surely they don't have to pay if they can show their permit? If they do it needs rectifying:mad:

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What times are people going? I went twice last week once to A&E (or should i say that portacabin thingy!) and once to the main car park, the first time was at 6.30pm Wednesday evening and the second time was 1pm Friday afternoon and we had no problems at all.

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Neil is right.... Staff have to pay again if they park outside of a staff area. The staff area isn't big enough now that extra staff have come over from Burnley. There are dozens of disabled spaces in the staff areas which are always empty because there aren't that many staff with disabilities severe enough to warrant a disabled badge. I know that there has to be a certain percentage of disabled spaces but to plonk them in the staff area is just plain idiotic.

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I have heard that as well. Its about time someone with a brain removed some of them. All it needs is to check daily at different times for a week and find out how many are used. Then make some of them normal parking spaces.

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I have seen those traffic jams today. I got on a bus at Ossy library at 2.40pm - on reaching the roundabout at Guide there was crawling traffic from Guide to the hospital. That short part of the journey took 25 minutes.-- I suppose there were school run mums swelling traffic flow at that time of day.

I was an hour early for my appointment but I only had to wait 30 minutes because the person before me didn't show up (poor soul probably stuck in traffic). I got out about 4.15pm and the rush hour had already begun, but I managed to get the little (last) hospital bus for the same route back -- chocablock to Guide roundabout again-- 25 mins again.

There was an ambulance struggling to get through it all - it must be giving the poor ambulance chaps nightmares.

The access to the hospital will have to be improved or some people will be dying on the way there

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Well that may be true Lettie for most people that work days it may not be possible for all of them.

I work part time at RBH, and I have a disabled child (why I work part time and my hours are changed during the school holidays), and I am on call for him 24/7. If I need to go to him in an emergency then I certainly don't want to be waiting for a bus to take me to JJB. I want to know my car is nearby on the staff car park.


I do agree though that the car parking is terrible. Not enough car parking spaces, and if the staff car park is full, even though you have paid out of your wage for a permit to enable you to park, if all the spaces are taken then you are asked to pay £10 per day to park on the visitors!!

Why on earth a mulit storey car park wasn't built is beyond me.

If somebody is attending hospital for an appointment then surely they are stressed enough without the stress of having to find a car parking space (As well as paying for it).

I'm surprised it has taken this long for the telegraph to pick up on it.

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wish my volvo was fast think i got a snail for an engine:)

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I phoned ambulance for a friend tonight..

First it didnt show up, I rang back asking what was going on and they said "It couldn't find you." I tell them exact location, it was new lane for a start.. cant miss it..

They didnt come the second time...

Around an hour and a half later I decide to get him a taxi there because the ambulance was pathetic.

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I disagree with you there Jae. I've always found the ambulance personnel to be brilliant with both me and my mum.

Thing is to ask yourself if you could wait an hour and half before taking him in a taxi did he really need an ambulance in the first place. Why not put him in a taxi to take him to the hospital.

Once i was told by a nurse that i shouldnt have rang an ambulance and i said i was told to by nhs direct to ring for an ambulance to take me. She said that i had wasted an ambulances time someone could have needed that ambulance more than me, which was probably true, but i got put thro from nhs direct straight to 999 when i said i didnt need one.

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If your friend was fit enough to go to hospital in a taxi then, you should have phoned for a taxi in the first place. Ambulances are for emergencies only.... and if your friend did not sound like an emergency patient then they will prioritise those who do.

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Sorry for the subject change but does anyone know how i get to the opthamology clinic (level one) at blackburn? ive never been there before.. thanx and sorry again...

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Just go in at the main entrance and ask at the desk Em. There are signs as you go in as well;)

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I went last Thursday - the big main entrance is at 'level 1' so you wont need to look for lift or stairs - I found it well signposted - and very busy - reminded me of Manchestert airport :D

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thanx...some hospitals are like mazes!!

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You will find it no problem:)

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Go in at the main entrance (which yes does resemble Manchester Airport lol). Go towards the shop which is straight ahead of you. At the shop turn left (you can't turn right!) and the opthalmology dept is the 2nd on your right.

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i went yesterday, appointment 2-30pm i got there at 2pm was seen immeidatly & was home within the hour had the scan as well.. but i must say never seen as many ambulances as i did see ........oh & the a & e dept leaves a lot to be desired, & what is that building they are working on ?

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Why were you in A&E Mez?:confused: Been for a few sacns with his lordship as you know and naver went anywhere near there:eek:

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our jet had to go last thursday, she said it was cold & a porta cabin.

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Know where you mean now but didn't realise that was A&E.

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The portacabin isn't A&E, it's the Urgent Care centre..:)

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Thanks for that Lettie knew there was a name on the side of it but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was:confused:

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Well have definetly seen the traffic jams today. It took us about forty five minutes to get home. It took us thirty minutes to get off the car park!!!

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What times of day was that Bernie?
I have to go again this week

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We were coming out at four thirty, it was horrendous. A lot must have been staff because visiting time was long gone and there couldn't possibly have been that many out patients leaving at the same time.

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There are a fair amount of staff who leave between 4pm and 5pm. I tend to leave from the entrance across from KFC but it can take ages to get out due to the weight of traffic coming up Haslingden Rd from the town centre to access the M65. It's not just hospital traffic which causes the chaos. It is actually quicker to get to Accy by going down Shadsworth Rd at that time of night rather than using the motorway. I wish that the roads had been planned better but this is England, we can't get nowt right..:D

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We did come down Shadworth Road, once we got off the car park and out of the traffic heading for the motorway we had a clear run.

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It's miles easier that way...... Getting to Shad Rd from RBH takes longer than getting from Shad Rd to Accy..:rolleyes:

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Yep very true anyone who can manage to would be as well getting picked up on the slip road:)

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oops thanks lettie .i'd slept since our jet told me what it was :o

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I get stuck in the traffic every night, its not just the hospital though, the industrial estates all exit onto Haslingden Road, it sometimes takes me 20 minutes to get on Shad road.
I work office hours but in no way would like to park on JJB though some of out staff in pharmacy do already. Some of the congestion could be eased by opening up Old Bank Lane (Rd?).

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Well they are going to have to do something it is ridiculous. People will start loosing their rag before to long. Think if we're ever ready to leave at that time again we'll delay it till traffic eases.

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I dont think the traffic eases till after 5.30pm, though some of my colleagues who have stayed late still get caught in it, think its really short sighted of the council planning dept, going to get worse soon with the buildings at the bottom of Shad that are being built at the mo.

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Looks like we're going to hit it again in a fortnight, just worked it out we should be coming out at about fivep.m. that day.:(

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hospital parking is horrendous notjust patients but the poorly paid staf who also pay for the 'privelige' of a nervous breakdown, getting off it.

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Sorry about my typing as my left hand is still nosuse hense caps are hard work an am running out of time posting, fingers crossed ok next week ta ianto.w.

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The only thing that I can suggest at that time is to go to the dining room at RBH, have your tea, and leave after your tea at 6pm. Some of the staff occasionally do this to avoid the traffic..:)

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Not really an option when Ian has had chemo, all he wants to do is get home.

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Awwww, that's understandable. I wouldn't mind but I got out early today and the traffic was still awful at 3.15pm. It is high time they opened Old Bank Lane for us Accringtonians, Churchers and Gobbins..

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Couldn't agree more it is a bit daft having a road not being used and traffic queing up like that:confused:

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The leasing co are only interested in the .cash cow' they own and not the customer. who they have over a barrel,back lane would cost a fortune and should should have been bought first

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I have been again this week-- arriving mid morning and leaving at noon -- no traffic jams. So the jams are rush hour related.
ie - at school run time 2.45 to 3.30pm, and between 4 and 6 pm and maybe morning too (I wouldn't know - my mornings rarely start before 9.30am :D)

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Been up to see mum this afternoon and the traffic jams were as bad as ever. On the plus side thy were letting buses out by the slip road easing things a bit. The visiting times have changed from what they used to be they are now from 2:30 to 4:30 so you have visitors and staff leaving at the same time.

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Oh no Im of for my six monthly MOT this morning.:rolleyes:

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The traffic jams are worse because there are roadworks on Haslingden Rd outside the KFC. These are supposed to be going on for quite some time......

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I took my sister up to the hospital a few months back, got stuck in traffic getting off the car park, were sat there for over an hour trying to get out of it (I even ended up with road rage - and for those that know me know that this does not normally happen)

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I was up there yesterday around tea time going to the hospital, it was chaos!
even trying to get out the hospital grounds took bloody ages, summat needs to be done, its stupid!

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Will be getting the twenty five past four bus back this afternoon, will time how long it takes us to get off the car park.

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Went for my MOT my appointment was for 10-15 got there with just 2 minutes to spare

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Experiment abandoned, the bus driver left at quarter past thus avoiding the heavy traffic:eek: