New car parking and payment system to go live at Dorset County Hospital

23 June 2023

A new car parking system for patients, staff and visitors will come into operation at Dorset County Hospital on Monday 3 July.

The Trust is introducing a barrier system with automatic number plate recognition for all patients, staff and visitors entering and leaving the main hospital site via Williams Avenue.

It will allow patients and visitors to pay on exit. This means they are only charged for the time they have been parked and do not need to be concerned about their parking tickets expiring while they are in the hospital.

It also gives more options to pay with payment machines taking coins and notes as well as credit and debit cards. Parking charges remain the same and there will be a free 20-minute dropping-off and picking up period for those who are bringing patients to the hospital or collecting them.

Blue Badge holders will be able to park for free and scan their badges at the barrier when they leave. Concessions will still be in place for certain patients and visitors.

Chris Hearn, Chief Financial Officer at Dorset County Hospital, said:

“We hope the new barrier system will make it easier for those wanting to park on our site. People will no longer need to go to a payment machine to get a ticket when they arrive or worry about their ticket running out, as the system will make sure patients and visitors only pay for the length of their stay.”

More information about how the new car parking system works is available at www.dchft.nhs.uk/parking