Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says it is taking far too long to resolve the growing parking problems at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Last November, Mr Rowlands launched a petition calling for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to get their act together and sort out the daily nightmare.
He said:
My inbox is continually full of emails from constituents, patients, visitors and even hospital staff who are telling me the same story: parking at the Maelor has become a daily nightmare.
People arriving for appointments are stressed, anxious and often late because they cannot find a safe or available place to park. Staff working those long and difficult shifts face the same challenges. I have actually spent some time in the car park and seen at firsthand how dangerous and frustrating it is to park there.
It really isn’t good enough and it is about time the issue was dealt with as a matter of urgency.
I am angry for my constituents as I feel that the health board is dragging its feet and need to work urgently with Wrexham Council to put some measures in place as soon as possible.
Recently in the Senedd, I called for an urgent review of the issue and urged the Welsh Government to get involved as I feel we need a commitment to a full review of parking capacity and management at the Maelor, and a timetable for delivering practical solutions, whether that includes a multistorey car park, park-and-ride options, or better use of existing land or other options that may be available to the Government.
Mr Rowlands called for a statement regarding this issue from Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip. And she said it was the responsibility of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, working with their local hospital management teams.
Mr Rowlands added:
I was disappointed but not surprised with the response from the Welsh Government as quite clearly the health board need support to fix these long-running parking issues at the hospital and as usual the Welsh Government buries it head in the sand.
I have raised my concerns with the Health Board and I hope to have a meeting to discuss the matter, but it would have been a positive step if the Welsh Government had been willing to get involved.
Sam Rowlands AS yn beirniadu cynnydd araf o ran datrys problemau parcio mewn ysbyty yng Ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, yn dweud ei bod yn cymryd llawer yn rhy hir i ddatrys y problemau parcio cynyddol yn Ysbyty Maelor Wrecsam.
Fis Tachwedd diwethaf, lansiodd Mr Rowlands ddeiseb yn galw ar Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr i weithredu a datrys yr hunllef ddyddiol.
Meddai:
Mae fy mewnflwch wastad yn llawn negeseuon e-bost gan etholwyr, cleifion, ymwelwyr a hyd yn oed staff yr ysbyty sy'n dweud yr un stori wrtha i: mae parcio yn y Maelor wedi dod yn hunllef ddyddiol.
Mae pobl sy'n cyrraedd am apwyntiadau dan straen, yn poeni ac yn aml yn hwyr oherwydd nad ydyn nhw'n gallu dod o hyd i le diogel i barcio neu le i barcio o gwbl. Mae staff sy'n gweithio ar shifftiau hir ac anodd yn wynebu'r un heriau. Rwyf wedi treulio peth amser yn y maes parcio fy hun ac wedi gweld gyda’m llygaid fy hun pa mor beryglus a rhwystredig yw’r parcio yno.
Dyw hyn ddim yn ddigon da ac mae'n bryd i'r mater gael ei ddatrys ar unwaith.
Rwy'n flin dros fy etholwyr gan fy mod yn teimlo bod y bwrdd iechyd yn llusgo ei draed. Mae angen iddo weithio ar frys gyda Chyngor Wrecsam i roi rhai mesurau ar waith cyn gynted â phosibl.
Yn ddiweddar yn y Senedd, mi wnes i alw am adolygiad brys o'r mater ac anogais Lywodraeth Cymru i gymryd rhan gan fy mod yn teimlo bod angen ymrwymiad i adolygiad llawn o leoedd parcio a rheolaeth yn y Maelor, ac amserlen ar gyfer darparu atebion ymarferol, boed hynny'n cynnwys maes parcio aml-lawr, opsiynau parcio a theithio, neu ddefnydd gwell o dir presennol neu opsiynau eraill a allai fod ar gael i'r Llywodraeth.
Galwodd Mr Rowlands am ddatganiad ynglŷn â'r mater hwn gan Jane Hutt, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gyfiawnder Cymdeithasol, y Trefnydd a'r Prif Chwip. Dywedodd ei fod yn gyfrifoldeb ar Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr, gan weithio gyda'u timau rheoli ysbytai lleol.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Roeddwn i'n siomedig ond doeddwn i ddim wedi fy synnu gan ymateb Llywodraeth Cymru gan fod angen cefnogaeth ar y bwrdd iechyd i ddatrys y problemau parcio hirdymor hyn yn yr ysbyty ac unwaith eto, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn claddu ei phen yn y tywod.
Rydw i wedi codi fy mhryderon gyda'r Bwrdd Iechyd ac rwy'n gobeithio cael cyfarfod i drafod y mater, ond byddai wedi bod yn gam cadarnhaol pe bai Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn fodlon cymryd rhan.
