Trusts take action to ease congestion

Traffic congestion around hospital sites is a major problem, delaying ambulances carrying urgent cases to accident and emergency departments, making patients late for clinic appointments, and frequently causing complaints from visitors and staff. At a special conference to discuss the problem this week, Philip Hunt, director of the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts, called on hospitals to take “innovative and positive” action to tackle the problem.

Speaking at the conference, the transport secretary, Sir George Young, re-emphasised the government's white paper commitment to the development of priority networks for public transport, cyclists, and pedestrians, and he praised trusts which have already begun to take action to reduce car …