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Profile and Approach
The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital provides a full range of acute hospital services to a population of some 330,000 in the city of Exeter and the surrounding, predominantly rural, area. Nearly 250,000 outpatients are seen in the course of an average year, along with 60,000 inpatients, 25,000 day-cases and 56,000 Accident & Emergency attendances. Many are elderly or frail.
Some 5,500 staff are employed, a large proportion of whom work shifts. The workforce is predominately female. Rather more than half the hospital’s staff lives outside the Exeter city boundary.
The main site of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital has been substantially redeveloped over recent years. A new hospital was built during the 1990s, and there has been a programme of expansion and consolidation of acute services on the site ever since. A new medical school opened in September 2004, and a new maternity complex will be completed in 2006. We are also planning a day treatment centre, which should be completed in 2008.
Car park
The various developments have resulted in a steady increase in traffic coming onto the site, and demand is set to continue, due to this expansion in services. At the same time, car parking capacity is limited. Expansion of car parking is governed by lack of available space, with new buildings being built on land previously used for car parking; local authority planning regulations; available finance and pressure from local residents who see the number of journeys generated by the site as a factor in causing high CO2 emissions in the area.
A recent survey of site users found the present modal split as:
Staff & Volunteers (from Nov 04 survey)
Walk 17.8 %; Cycle 4.6%; Motorcycle 1.8%; Car (driver) 60.4%; Car (passenger) 8%; Taxi 0.2% Bus 8.4% P&R 8.3%; Train 0.2; Other 0.1%
(This may not add up to 100% as Respondents could tick multiple options.)
Patients and Visitors (from Nov / Dec 04 survey)
Walk 0.8 %; Cycle 0.9%; Motorcycle 0.9%; Car (driver) 38.3%; Car (passenger) 40.7%; Voluntary Car Scheme 2.3%; Hospital Car 0.5%; Taxi 1.9% Bus 7.5% P&R 5.6%; Train 0.5%; Other 0.5% (This may not add up to 100% as Respondents could tick multiple options.)
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Staff parking
Approach
Putting the traveller centre stage (Pillar no. 1)
No specific user group has been set up as part of OPTIMUM², however, several different groups are set up already, namely:
* Exeter Transport Forum (Employers) & Exeter Public Transport Forum (operators and users)
* Trust Members (surveyed)
* Staff (surveyed)
* Staff Representative Group (discussed transport issues)
Developing marketing activities (Pillar no. 2)
No overall marketing plan yet. But marketing activities bring measures to the attention of the user (see Measures). To get data there questionnaires were sent to staff & volunteers, patients/visitors and trust members. Good travel information and communication (Pillar no. 3)
P&R / Bus information leaflet are sent out to all local health centres, libraries, other healthcare sites and displayed at main entrances of the hospital. Central information point Travel bureau/website will possibly re-locate to the main entrance. The hospital is talking with the bus company Stagecoach about the introduction of real time information in the entrance hall.
Royal Devon & Exeter (Wonford) Hospital entrance
Mobility management as a permanent factor in plan making (Pillar no. 4)
Planning for new building (Treatment Centre) due to open in 2008 will take account of travel needs. E.g. new bus stop for P&R service, new staff information packs etc Extra incentives (Pillar no. 5)
The local authority and local community pressures to minimise the impact of journeys made to the sites by the obligation for companies to make a travel plan. The hospital is searching for carrots to avoid always using sticks.
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