York Hospital, part of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is a major acute site situated close to the historic city centre. Its location makes its parking facilities highly accessible for patients, visitors and staff. However, it has also become a prime target for non-hospital visitors seeking convenient city-centre parking.
With more than 1,000 spaces at the York site, demand for parking far outstrips supply, which often results in unauthorised parking and causes huge frustration amongst daily visitors at a time when anxiety may already be heightened.
At the same time, ageing infrastructure and inconsistent connectivity were causing reliability issues with existing systems, further compounding operational challenges.
Bringing structure and intelligence to access control
Working with Axis partner GroupNexus, the Trust implemented a fully integrated, ticketless parking management system designed to improve control while simplifying the user experience.
At the heart of the solution are Axis network cameras using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), providing real-time visibility of all vehicle movements across the site. This enables accurate monitoring and enforcement without adding friction for users.
The system introduced a pay-on-exit model supported by image verification. Drivers simply enter their registration at a payment terminal, confirm their vehicle visually, and pay only for the duration of their stay. This removes the need for physical tickets and reduces common frustrations such as lost tickets or uncertainty around overstaying.
Staff parking areas are now managed through a digital permit system, ensuring only authorised users can access designated spaces. Meanwhile, the multi-storey car park operates as a controlled environment for staff, patients and visitors, helping to separate different user groups and protect capacity.
Accessibility was also a key consideration. A dedicated Blue Badge process allows eligible users to pre-register or validate parking on-site, ensuring a straightforward and inclusive experience. “By combining intelligent software with Axis network video technology, we’ve been able to deliver a system that improves control for the Trust while keeping the experience simple and accessible for users,” states David Walsh at GroupNexus.
To support this setup, a resilient network infrastructure was implemented to address previous connectivity issues, ensuring consistent uptime across cameras, barriers and payment systems.
A smoother experience for staff, patients and visitors
Since implementation, there has been an improvement in how parking is managed. By separating user groups and introducing ANPR-based control, unauthorised parking has been significantly reduced. This has helped protect capacity for patients and staff, easing congestion and reducing friction at peak times.
For users, the shift to a ticketless, pay-on-exit system has made the experience more predictable and less stressful. Patients no longer need to worry about overstaying a fixed ticket duration during appointments, and visitors benefit from a more intuitive and flexible process.
“This project shows how network video can move beyond traditional security applications. It gives organisations the insight and control they need to solve real operational challenges in complex environments like healthcare,” states Sean McNaboe, Key Account Manager, Axis Communications.
A smarter approach to hospital parking management
Today, more than 2,400 parking spaces across York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are managed through a single, intelligent system. By combining Axis network video technology with GroupNexus’ expertise, the Trust has created a more controlled, reliable and user-friendly environment that prioritises patients and staff while improving day-to-day efficiency.
The result is a parking operation that feels less like a point of friction, and more like a seamless part of the hospital experience.
