Additional parking capacity has been identified to help ease pressure at the University Hospital of North Durham following ongoing discussions between County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Durham County Council and local partners.
The Trust has been working closely with Durham County Council to make additional staff parking spaces available at nearby County Hall. By enabling more staff to park there, this will help free up space closer to the hospital for patients and visitors.
From Monday 9th March, more staff will be able to make use of the spaces at County Hall, helping to ease pressure on parking across the hospital site and in surrounding areas. The Trust recognises that parking pressures around busy hospital sites can be challenging for patients, visitors and staff and can also affect people living in nearby communities. Over recent months the Trust has been listening carefully to concerns raised by residents, local councillors and parish representatives about congestion and parking on surrounding roads.
Working together with partners, several practical options have been and continue to be explored, including the use of additional nearby parking. The new spaces at County Hall are one step that partners hope will make a positive difference.
The Trust is grateful to leaders and colleagues at Durham County Council for their constructive support in helping to identify this additional capacity and for the collaborative approach taken to addressing the issue.
Clear signage will be installed to guide staff to the designated parking areas at County Hall, and staff are asked to ensure they only park within the allocated spaces. The additional spaces have been agreed in partnership with Durham County Council and will remain in place while both organisations continue to monitor parking demand and access to the hospital site, with a review planned for November 2026.
Both organisations remain committed to continuing to work together on longer-term solutions that support patients, staff and visitors while also helping to manage the impact on local roads and neighbourhoods.
The Trust will continue working with Durham County Council and other partners to explore longer-term opportunities to improve parking and access to hospital sites, including discussions around potential expanded park and ride options.