MOTORISTS are today being told to stop using the University Hospital of Wales site as a rat run.
Hospital bosses have issued a plea to drivers after staff and visitors to the Heath site suffered “severe” traffic problems this week.
And they said that the congestion is affecting the smooth running of services, which have returned to their pre-Christmas levels.
Notices at the hospital’s entrance warn motorists that the site is not a through road but many drivers ignore the signs and use it as a shortcut to the A48.
Traffic has built up on the large UHW site on Monday and Tuesday, especially during the morning rush hour – some people were forced to queue for 20 minutes to get onto the site yesterday.
The traffic problems on Monday were exacerbated by the ongoing cold weather, which meant that the top floors of UHW’s two multi-storey car parks were closed because of ice.
Estelle Hitchon, interim director of communications for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, was one of those stuck in traffic trying to get to UHW yesterday.
“Congestion on the site meant I was unable to make a meeting with a colleague based at UHW, but it’s clearly much more problematic for patients who need to get to outpatient clinics and appointments and for our staff who provide clinical services,” she said.
And a spokesman for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “Emergency ambulances are experiencing problems and delays entering and leaving UHW due to what appears to be members of the public driving through and using UHW as a shortcut to get through to the A48.
“We understand that UHW is trying its utmost to sort out this situation, and we’d be grateful if the public would avoid using the roads within the hospital grounds merely for their own convenience.”
Hospital managers are now asking members of the public to be considerate and to visit the hospital only if they have a legitimate reason.
Dr Kesh Baboolal, director of acute university hospital services, said the temporary closure of the top floors of the hospital’s two multi-storey car parks because of treacherous conditions had caused some traffic congestion on the site on Monday and Tuesday, with “rat runners” exacerbating an already difficult decision.
“We would like to apologise to patients, the public and colleagues for any inconvenience caused by traffic problems in and around the University Hospital of Wales site over the past couple of days,” he said. “Both car parks are now fully operational and we are asking all members of the public to come to UHW only if they have a genuine reason.
“The extra pressure on roads in and around the site caused by people using it as public thoroughfare can cause problems for our staff and patients, affecting the smooth running of our hospital services.”
