Latest news with #SteveTaylor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hospital parking charges rise 'necessary'
Parking charges at some hospitals are to rise from Monday, in what health chiefs say is a necessary move. The increase will be between 30p and 60p for up to four hours, although the first 20 minutes, for pick-up and drop-offs, will remain free. The move affects Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, Peterlee Community Hospital and Northallerton's Friarage. Steve Taylor, of University Hospitals Tees (UHT), has previously said it was understood the move would not be welcome, but the cost of maintaining the car parks could not be covered by its current operating budget. Anything left over from running costs would be diverted to patient care, he pledged. Parking will still be free for the first 20 minutes, for blue badge holders, frequent outpatient attendees, and the parents of sick children admitted to hospital overnight. Mr Taylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Charging for parking ensures only those who need to visit our hospitals use a parking space and ensures a swift turnover of spaces. "We would like to reassure all our patients and visitors that the income is used to maintain our car parks, including the costs of repairs and maintenance, lighting, gritting and security. "Any surplus money is diverted into patient care to support the delivery of front-line services." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Hospital parking charges to increase Hospital staff protest over planned parking change North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Teesside hospital parking charges rise take effect
Parking charges at some hospitals are to rise from Monday, in what health chiefs say is a necessary increase will be between 30p and 60p for up to four hours, although the first 20 minutes, for pick-up and drop-offs, will remain move affects Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, Peterlee Community Hospital and Northallerton's Taylor, of University Hospitals Tees (UHT), has previously said it was understood the move would not be welcome, but the cost of maintaining the car parks could not be covered by its current operating budget. Anything left over from running costs would be diverted to patient care, he will still be free for the first 20 minutes, for blue badge holders, frequent outpatient attendees, and the parents of sick children admitted to hospital overnight. Mr Taylor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Charging for parking ensures only those who need to visit our hospitals use a parking space and ensures a swift turnover of spaces."We would like to reassure all our patients and visitors that the income is used to maintain our car parks, including the costs of repairs and maintenance, lighting, gritting and security."Any surplus money is diverted into patient care to support the delivery of front-line services." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Scheme offers 'friendly face' to young people during TT festival
A safeguarding scheme is set to provide a "friendly face" to vulnerable young people who need support during the TT period, the coordinator of the project has by St Christopher's, which supports those in care, the Streetwise initiative was expanded in 2024 to include everyone under the age of at a base near the Douglas Promenade war memorial until 8 June, its members will be on hand to help young people who finds themselves in a vulnerable Taylor said staff had previously helped teenagers with issues ranging from lost bus fares and stolen belongings to safeguarding concerns. He said with up to 50,000 visitors to the island across the festival fortnight helping to create a "tremendous atmosphere" there was "a lot of temptations for young people".The service has been backed again this year by Manx Care, the police and the Douglas City Council. Mr Taylor, who is also head of children's residential services at St Christopher's, said the risks facing young people during the TT could be "challenging" but the service offered a "safe place". "Our key message is, 'if something happens to you, there's people available who can support you'," he of Douglas Steven Crellin said Streetwise was a "brilliant community initiative that's there for our young people when they need it most". "It's had a clear and positive impact on children and families across Douglas and it's great to see so many local organisations working together to make it happen," he charity's representatives, which will also patrol the area in hi-visibility tabards, would be available between 18:00 and 02:00 BST each day. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Teesside hospital parking charges to increase
Some hospital parking charges will rise by as much as £3 from next Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, the University Hospital of Hartlepool, the Peterlee Community Hospital and the Friarage in Northallerton will be will still be free for the first 20 minutes and for blue badge holders, frequent outpatient attendees and the parents of sick children admitted to hospital director of estates at University Hospitals Tees (UHT) Steve Taylor said "we understand this is not welcome news," but that the cost of maintaining the car parks could not be covered by its current operating budget. UHT is the partnership of the North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation for up to four hours parking will rise by between 30p and 60p across the hospitals from 2 cost of seven-day permits at James Cook and North Tees will rise by £3, a 43% increase. 'Ensures swift turnover' Income from the car parks was used to maintain them, Mr Taylor said the increase had been kept "as low as possible".Mr Taylor said: "Charging for parking ensures only those who need to visit our hospitals use a parking space and ensures a swift turnover of spaces." Parking charges at Teesside hospitals have already attracted controversy this staff parking rates introduced in April for North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees trust staff meant a 52% increase of almost £170 a year for some full-time James Cook staff, with consultants seeing a rise of £300 a year, a rise of more than 80%.These rises prompted anger from some NHS workers and the Unite union. The trusts said it was the first change in two years and said prices would reflect salary bandings, with some staff seeing reductions, including some South Tees staff working less than 10 hours a week having to pay £5.37 a month rather than £13.47. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Yellow Patches On Your Grass? We've Got Grim Gardening News For You
Having a garden is a beautiful thing, isn't it? It's linked to better physical and mental health, it can smell amazing, and, if managed correctly, it looks beautiful too. But like all of life's joys, the perfect lawn comes at a cost. From pesky pests to dodgy weather, it feels like a gardener's work is never done – and now, gardeners are being asked to check for signs of the (visually unfortunate) chafer grub in their backyard. Steve Taylor from GreenThumb recently told WalesOnline that 'the next two months are key periods for the larvae and failure to stop their attack on your lush grass could lead to your lawn needing expert care to revive it.' Here's how to check for the grub – and what to do about it once you've seen it. Chafer bugs aren't a single species – the term refers to about 80 different varieties in the UK. While some species of chafer grub are completely harmless and only feast on dung or compost, others like nothing more than chowing down on your most verdant grass. 'Chafer grubs can be found in the soil under the loose turf. They have stout white bodies curved in a C shape, light brown heads, with three pairs of legs at the head end. They are bigger than the adult beetles and, if straightened out, can be up to 18mm (almost ¾in) long,' the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says. Their damage is most visible in autumn and spring, as this is when larvae are most lively. 'The weather conditions are set to be perfect for the... pests to thrive in and failure to deal with these destructive bugs can lead to the demise of gardens,' Taylor told WalesOnline. Some species of the beetle – only those found in turf – can damage your grass by eating the roots. This leads to patches of paler, discoloured grass that can appear yellow. The grubs can have an unwanted side-effect on your turf, too – 'Birds, particularly of the crow family (jays, magpies, rooks and crows), badgers and foxes tear up turf in order to access the grubs to feed on them,' shared the RHS. Oh, lovely. The RHS recommends buying pathogenic nematodes, usually Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, via mail order and letting 'em loose on the affected area. They are a biological control so will not damage your soil or plants. If you apply them in winter, the soil will be too cold for the grubs to live anyway. 'As a preventive measure nematodes can be applied in July to September. Nematodes should be applied as soon as possible after purchase, following the suppliers' instructions. It may be necessary to water the lawn before and after application to ensure the soil is sufficiently moist for nematode activity and survival,' they say. 'There are no pesticide controls for chafer grubs in lawns which can be applied by home gardeners,' the RHS add. Here's How To Grow A Rosemary Bush From Supermarket Sprigs This 1 Counter-Intuitive Hack Could Cause Your Roses To Flourish This Humane, Chemical-Free Slug Repellant is Probably Already In Your Kitchen
