Alzheimer's group and surgery in row over car park

A row has started between an Alzheimer's group and a doctors' surgery in Gloucestershire over the use of its car park.

For 20 years the Alzheimer's café, which meets once a month, has been able to use Price's Mill Surgery in Nailsworth to park as part of a goodwill gesture.

But the surgery has now said the car park is for staff and patients only due to an "increase in the number of appointments being offered".

Organisers of the café say this may put people off from attending and a petition for continued use of the car park has already been signed by more than 140 people.

The disagreement started a few months ago, when a number of Alzheimer café users, who had parked in the surgery car park, had stickers put on their cars warning them not to park there.

Café host, Richard Bert, said: "From there on we have spent the last three months trying to come to an agreement with them, just so we can continue the way we have done for more than 20 years.

"Our numbers have already started to fall by 50% because people are so anxious that they can't guarantee parking.

"These are people who are elderly, frail, looking after a loved one or partner with dementia and many are prone to falls."

Mary Lee brings her husband Ray, who has dementia, to the group.

Mrs Lee said if she cannot park in the surgery she "won't be able to come at all".

In a statement, Price's Mill Surgery said: "It was absolutely not our intention to adversely affect the number of attendees at the dementia café, the practice car park needs to be fully available to our patients and staff.

"There is other free public parking available throughout Nailsworth."

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