THERE’S nothing like a heavily-worded letter to get people talking.
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The general manager of Orange hospital Catherine Nowlan’s letter to her staff reminding them of the importance of parking in the staff allocated areas has certainly caused a stir.
Not only does Ms Nowlan remind staff why they shouldn’t use car parks set aside for visitors and patients, she also warns them that there will be dire consequences if they do the wrong thing.
According to Ms Nowlan managers will be notified if any of their staff park in the wrong area. In fact these managers may be forced to performance manage their staff for breaching the NSW ministry of health code of conduct by parking incorrectly.
Many of us will find it surprising to learn that a person who runs a multi-million dollar hospital, servicing thousands of patients a year, should be spending her time sorting out parking problems.
At the moment there’s no doubt Orange hospital has a major public relations problem that doesn’t look like being fixed anytime soon.
While patients, visitors and staff, should be talking about Orange hospital’s state-of the art equipment, its skilled surgeons, and its impressive record of care, they aren’t.
What people are talking about is their frustration and anger over not being able to find a parking space.
Ms Nowlan’s letter has only inflamed an already volatile situation with staff angry they are being targeted over this issue.
Of course this lack of parking is not just a problem for hospital management, it’s a problem the entire community needs to address.
Let’s hope Orange City Council’s offer to construct an additional 77 car spots at the Orange Health Service site goes someway towards fixing a problem that’s occupied far too much of everybody’s time and energy.