Has anyone delivered to central london hospitals (all within M25)?
Been offered a job (class 2, 18 ton) delivering to hospitals within central london. Was told agency guy couldn’t hack it as it was stressing him finding sites, access, looking for someone to sign deliveries, really tight loading bays etc etc…
It’s the same hospitals week in, week out so I’m guessing it’s going to be a pain in the ■■■■ to start with but gets easier as time goes by.
How hard are these hospitals to deliver to?
Is traffic, access and parking in london really that bad (I’m a northerner)?
Trying to work out if driving in central london every day is going to make me want to kill myself after a few weeks or if it’s just a case of getting used to the route.
Ironically Epsom hospital is a gutted shell of what it once was through cuts.But absolutely definitely not in London at all.
It’s firmly within the County of Surrey.
But ironically you’ll find it much more difficult re deliveries than Kingston.Which unfortunately is in ‘London’ since 1965 but deffo not ‘central’ London.HTH
Never done hospitals In London. Have done a few aound the northwest area.
Most are a pain. But if like me just ask anyone that looks like they work there there direct you to loading area.
Not the easiest places to access…some have various loading arrears…some.are one area for everything.
Once there just ask if unsure.
And I’ve found most don’t even have a flt so make sure have pump truck.
Like everything though once been there your know and will get easier
Re parking im from Manchester go to London central London quite a lot.
Best advice is park at last services you can for your 45 . As not many parking areas in London really. Worst bit is crossing the Thames every other bridge is weight or height restricted.
Carryfast:
Since when was ‘inside the M25’ London.
Ironically Epsom hospital is a gutted shell of what it once was through cuts.But absolutely definitely not in London at all.
It’s firmly within the County of Surrey.
But ironically you’ll find it much more difficult re deliveries than Kingston.Which unfortunately is in ‘London’ since 1965 but deffo not ‘central’ London.HTH
I’ts what I was told.
Couple of hospitals mentioned were Royal free and St Bart’s so I’m guessing they mean central London proper and not just “within M25” but he did say “within M25” so I could be wrong or maybe a mix of central and within M25
edd1974:
Never done hospitals In London. Have done a few aound the northwest area.
Most are a pain. But if like me just ask anyone that looks like they work there there direct you to loading area.
Not the easiest places to access…some have various loading arrears…some.are one area for everything.
Once there just ask if unsure.
And I’ve found most don’t even have a flt so make sure have pump truck.
Like everything though once been there your know and will get easier
Re parking im from Manchester go to London central London quite a lot.
Best advice is park at last services you can for your 45 . As not many parking areas in London really. Worst bit is crossing the Thames every other bridge is weight or height restricted.
Delivered to Northwick Park in Harrow, not too bad. St Pancras Hospital was an absolute pig in an 18t rigid, maybe a 7.5t might be ok. Don’t know about any others apart from my local one in Watford (although not London but is inside the M25)
Big enough site for trucks but actual delivery points might be tight.
London is one of them places. Hate it or love it ive been going there regular with job in now for 4 years.
At 1st it really stressed me out hated the place. .but after a while get use to it and don’t mind going there…as long as your not rushed by your company and.you can use your brain. Don’t blindly follow your satnav your be fine.
As say once crossed the M25 parking and stopping for a pee or break is almost impossible. So stop at last serices on which ever motorway you come down…or south mimms truck stop.
And one last tip always bring food. Don’t be tempted to buy food in London. . Once delivered to some.site in central London lucky was building site n parking. Was starving so manger.pop acorss to a local sandwich shop they wanted about 7 for a sandwich and a drink.
So boigh bag crisps n drink instead.
Personally probabaly picked a good time to be going with covidplace being put into lockdown tier 3 the roads should be a bit quieter for you
Carryfast:
Since when was ‘inside the M25’ London.
Ironically Epsom hospital is a gutted shell of what it once was through cuts.But absolutely definitely not in London at all.
It’s firmly within the County of Surrey.
But ironically you’ll find it much more difficult re deliveries than Kingston.Which unfortunately is in ‘London’ since 1965 but deffo not ‘central’ London.HTH
I’ts what I was told.
Couple of hospitals mentioned were Royal free and St Bart’s so I’m guessing they mean central London proper and not just “within M25” but he did say “within M25” so I could be wrong or maybe a mix of central and within M25
That’s like saying Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square are within the M25.As I said so is Epsom.
Ironically I had to attend an interview in Croydon yesterday.
The zb hole looks like downtown Manhattan let alone Canary Wharf.
Then got caught in a traffic holocaust trying to get home.Including that urban nightmare somehow being linked by the boundaries muppets with …Coulsdon (a bit like Malden Rushett being classed as ‘London’ ).
All of which formed part of my escape plan which went seriously wrong at the obvious TFL planned Purley one way system and eventually then involved deciding to use the nuclear option of M25 on the grounds of just wasn’t worth using/finding the old Chipstead rat run back across to Banstead by that point.
But yep deffo no connection between the M25 and London with it being outside of even the laughable London Boroughs of Kingston and Croydon and Bromley’s boundaries.Let alone central London and the nicked parts of the old Counties which form the ‘outer London Boroughs’.
Which, like calling the M25 ‘London’, are really just a land grab scam by those who think that London’s boundary should reach the South Coast.
If you’re doing Kingston use the A238 Coombe exit off the A3 it’s a straight run through to the goods entrance and loading bay which is on the right and before the low bridge.Epsom is a bit more difficult and St Helier and St Georges don’t even go there.
I’ve done a few of the London (non central) ones many years back with an 18t doing foodservice. I didn’t really notice anything different about them to the ones elsewhere, at least they are dependant on trucks in and out so have loading bays and dedicated areas. Which is a lot more than can be said for doing school kitchens and coffee shops.
TDL102:
“Personally probabaly picked a good time to be going with covidplace being put into lockdown tier 3 the roads should be a bit quieter for you”
One thing for is for sure, Covid19 has not mad the roads in London quieter
Busier than ever,people been scared off tubes n buses,crazy L plate scooter delivery ■■■■■ random roads closed,cameras for cycle lanes n traffic reduction areas,even more mad than usual
I’ve delivered building materials to guys hospital , long time ago , think we had to wait in a holding area , then called us around when ready then decided they didn’t want the stuff that day , so took it back to Erith
I’d of thought the biggest issue would be getting parking tickets until you get to know where delivery areas are ( having to park and ask )
That’s why building sites were good , there was alaways someone flagging you down as you approached , though it was often not the right building site , but they’d then point you in the right direction
Avoid like the plague! I did 4 years with one of the main pallet networks and often the delivery had to be re-routed on a van, not because there was no access for my 18t but there was so much junk in the delivery yard that it was impossible to get in.
Did London hospital deliveries in a 18T rigid for several years. Most are not too bad once you have been there once and have become familiar with the access/layout. Most (but not all!) of them have off-street delivery yards so you can avoid getting tickets etc. They can be very very busy though - especially 0830-1000 when they may be swarming with courier vans.
Royal Free is a right Royal PITA from around 6/7 in the morning. Only a couple of loading bays and an 18T rigid on one of them can block it all up solid.
Guys is a horrible little yard to reverse into and like many of them the entrance to it is nowhere near the main hospital entrance.
Great Ormond Street children’s hospital is another potentially awkward one. Security bloke in the yard is a good egg though and will help you if you need to eg reverse back out again.
You think hospital deliveries are bad? Try ‘convenience stores’… on street parking (if you’re lucky outside the store), dealing with irate motorists and pedestrians, parking wardens, and errant cages. Oh, and keeping g an eye on the light fingered counts who will gladly assist’ you ‘unloading’…
and eventually then involved deciding to use the nuclear option of M25 on the grounds of just wasn’t worth using/finding the old Chipstead rat run back across to Banstead by that point. 
on street parking (if you’re lucky outside the store), dealing with irate motorists and pedestrians, parking wardens, and errant cages. Oh, and keeping g an eye on the light fingered counts who will gladly assist’ you ‘unloading’…