Trust Board approves installation of ANPR at Churchill and JR Hospitals
29/03/2019
This article is more than five years old.
On 13 March 2019, the Board of Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust approved a Business Case for the implementation of Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and Variable Message Signs (VMS) in the visitor car parks at the John Radcliffe Hospital and Churchill Hospital, and will lodge a Planning Application with Oxford City Council for the installation of the VMS.
Should planning consent be granted for the VMS, the Trust expects to complete the installation of the ANPR by September 2019.
ANPR is already widely used in airport, hospital, Council car parks and these are some of the benefits that the Trust expects to see:
- improvement in the flow of traffic around the sites as the VMS will show where the spaces are
- more choice for visitors because if they have a smartphone, they can connect to various apps to get live updates on the availability of spaces before they get to site; should the car parks look busy, they can then consider Park and Ride or other parking/transport options before arriving at the hospitals
- quicker access and exit from the sites as visitors do not have to wait to take/insert a ticket
- more convenient payment as smartphone, cash, credit card, or online within 24 hours will all be supported
- useful data from the ANPR will also assist the Trust in future planning.
Jason Dorsett, Chief Finance Officer, said: "We recognise that car parking and traffic flow are a major source of frustration for our patients, visitors and staff that can impact negatively on patients' experience of visiting our hospitals, and we see the implementation of ANPR and VMS as a significant step in improving the current situation.
"The Trust will be working with patient groups, staff and stakeholders to ensure that this new system is introduced as smoothly as possible."