We are calling on Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, working with Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, to properly investigate and consider a multi-storey car park at the John Radcliffe Hospital and better parking and access at both the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals.

The John Radcliffe is one of Oxfordshire’s most important hospitals, serving patients from across the county and beyond. The Churchill Hospital is also a vital part of local care. Yet for many patients, visitors and staff, getting to hospital is only half the journey. Finding somewhere to park can be a major challenge, and access can be made harder by the pressure on nearby roads and the limited space on site.

The Trust itself acknowledges that parking at the JR is limited and advises people who need to drive to allow plenty of time to park. We recognise that walking, cycling and public transport have an important role to play, and where practical they should be encouraged. But not everyone travelling to hospital can use those options. Some patients are elderly, disabled, undergoing treatment, carrying medical equipment or belongings, attending appointments with children, or simply too unwell to manage a long trip by public transport.

For these people, access by car is not a luxury. It can be essential.

A multi-storey car park could provide significantly more parking capacity while making much better use of the limited land available on the hospital site. It could also allow for accessible parking, electric vehicle charging and modern parking technology.

This is not about encouraging unnecessary car journeys. It is about making sure people can reach the care they need without extra stress.

There have been calls for a decked or multi-storey car park at the JR before, including a petition that attracted thousands of signatures. Yet years later, the problem remains.

We therefore ask the Trust and the councils to undertake a proper feasibility study, assess how extra parking capacity could be provided without unnecessarily increasing the hospital’s land footprint, consider the needs of patients, visitors, disabled people, families and staff, and publish the findings and options for public consideration.

Patients should not have to worry about whether they can find a parking space when they need to get to hospital.