A nurse at Craigavon Area Hospital has been left outraged and upset after leaving work to pick up her sick child – only to find her car damaged and the culprit nowhere in sight.
The nurse, who had to leave midway through a shift to pick up her child, has called on the hospital to install CCTV cameras after her car was rear-ended in a hit-and-run incident.
Posting on social media, the nurse said: “So come out of work early to lift a sick child only to discover that some absolute tramp hit my car and said [nothing].
“You would think a hospital car park should be safe. I’m so cross…when is Craigavon Area Hospital going to step up and put in CCTV cameras.”
John Creaney, Unison joint branch secretary, who was informed of yet another health care worker’s vehicle being damaged in the car park at Craigavon Area Hospital, reiterated the nurse’s calls for action.
“These mindless acts of vandalism and disrespect need to stop and those responsible prosecuted,” said Mr Creaney.
Adding: “Hospital staff work long hard hours caring for the sick, the last thing they expect at the end of a shift is to see their car damaged.
“The fact that this is still continuing and the trust are taking no responsibility is also not good enough.
“There is little enough parking within the hospital and with on going improvements and buildings being added on the site parking issues should be addressed in a better way.”
Earlier this week it was revealed that almost £2m has been paid in car parking charges at hospitals in the Southern Trust area – of which almost £75,000 is paid by staff.
The Southern Trust said there is “no compulsory charging for staff”.
“There are voluntary pay car parking schemes for staff at both Craigavon and Daisy Hill Hospitals and the charge to staff for one of these spaces is £30 per month.”
They said income from car parking charges pays for maintenance and security of hospital car parks, adding: “Without this income, funding currently used to pay for the care and treatment of patients would have to be diverted to pay to keep car parks operational.”
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