DILIGENT health workers from the Royal Bournemouth Hospital have been praised for helping patients trapped in the hospital car park during Tuesday's traffic chaos.

Beleaguered patients - many who were heading home after medical treatment - spent up to four hours waiting to exit the car park.

The earlier incident involving an overturned trailer on the A338 caused gridlock on surrounding roads.

However, four members of the hospital's outpatients department ensured patients and other drivers in the car park queues had water and medical assistance if needed.

Senior healthcare assistant Carol Skillen said: "I phoned the police, but they said they couldn't do anything because the car park was not a public road. So I put the phone down and said 'right guys, we need to go and sort this car park out'. So all four of us marched out and just took over and did it."

Carol, along with Matron Diane Potter, Sister Sarah Smith and healthcare assistant Linda Hayes, worked to provide water, support and medical assistance to drivers for around two hours - long after their work shifts had finished.

Diane said "As well as staff getting out of the car park, we had patients who had been in outpatients; patients who had just been discharged from the hospital; patients who had day surgery; people who had just had their chemotherapy - there was a renal dialysis patient."

The quartet helped a young mother who needed milk for her baby, checked the blood the blood sugar of a diabetic patient, then helped people in wheelchairs access the outpatient department's toilets.

They also ensured access to A&E was maintained and eventually marshalled all of the traffic out of the car park.

Diane said: "It was an amazing atmosphere actually, people were waving, beeping, thanking us. They would have been here at 10pm if we hadn't of done something.

"I would like to say how proud I am of our team, we pulled together and did this to ensure safe care for patients and staff."

Bournemouth hospital chief operating officer Richard Renaut praised the staff members for going "above and beyond" to help out.

At the height of the gridlock, some patients abandoned their vehicles in the car park until later that evening.

Lalinea Travers Sands said: "I came out of hospital at 5pm, waited two hours in my parking space as there were cars behind me.

"Ended up walking home nearly three miles with kids in tow. Got home at 8.45pm, totally pee'd off, Meant to be resting after my procedure."

Some drivers even considered having to book into hotels for the night.

Shirley Green, of Wareham, said: "Congratulations to hospital staff who assisted in directing traffic during the chaos."

Shirley, who was caught up in the queues for more than three hours, added: " I live in Purbeck and want to express my concerns that if the NHS are to close Poole A&E and make RBH our emergency hospital, what new provision is going to be made for additional parking as current parking is not good?"

Another driver caught up in Tuesday's hospital car park gridlock was Sarah Brailey. She said: "Total gridlock as no one will let us join the queue. My husband has just driven along Castle Lane and it was OK.

"Absolute nightmare -apparently someone has called the police to asked for help but they 'don't want to know'."

Hospital chief: “We strongly support plans for new road junction in and out of hospital"

HOSPITAL chiefs have spoken to council officials and police about how best to cope with traffic incidents like the one this week.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital chief operating officer Richard Renaut, pictured, said: “Being stuck in our car park for hours is incredibly frustrating for our patients, visitors and staff. We’d like to thank everyone for their patience and especially thank our staff who went above and beyond to help out.”

Mr Renaut said he was speaking with police and the council about how traffic flow is quickly recovered.

“We also strongly support the plans for the new road junction in and out of the hospital,” he added. “We’d also appeal to drivers that when there is severe congestion, they do not to use the roundabout outside the hospital entrance as a quicker way to join the traffic heading to Christchurch.

“The road in and out of the hospital must be clear for ambulances.”