Hospital parking charges

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=524732&in_page_i d=1770>
With free care for the elderly in Scotland, and free prescriptions in Wales, and now free hospital parking.

Are the English becoming second class members of the NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE?

Health chiefs refused to intervene and even said forcing hospitals to stop charging would breach the Government's drive to cut carbon emissions by encouraging car use.

When are the once "Bull Dog Breed" going to say enough is enough? Or are we all increasingly becoming "Lap-Dogs" to our masters in Westminster?

[poohshunny]

As a Scot now living in England, and having a brother living in Wales, I totally agree that the English are getting a raw deal! It's not just the health service, but many other things too.

[mushroom25]

until charges were introduced at our main hospital (in the midlands), many of the spaces in the car park were occupied by drivers who provably had no business being there, ie gone to shops, commuters, etc.

it's sometimes a difficult call but in our case it had to happen as even hospital staff were having trouble parking on-site.

[josie48]

I live in Penarth S,Wales and I must admit I had very little faith in the Welsh Assembly " Edwina included" but ,to her due's she worked all out to get us free "scripts" and now along with The Macmillan Nurses she's succeeded in her quest for free hospital parking. What is wrong with the English government?

[cruella]

I think everyone in the UK ought to be getting the same benefits.
I would like to point out thought that although the elderly in Scotland receive free personal care at home, they do have to pay for Home Helps.
If they are in residential/nursing homes, they do have to pay if they have the income.

[bednobs]

the welsh and scottish are just as slaved to their parliament. in paying for these things, Noon asked them if they wanted it. their governments will have to make tough decisions on something else to cut. the scottish and welsh cant have free prescriptions, free hospital parking, free personal care AND everything else. they only get a certain pot of money, so something else will have to go

[bigmamma]

My local hospital car park has parking fees which can prove costly if you go there to visit each day , even more if twice a day , you can get a free pass if your relative has been in more than 8 days . There are blue badge disabled lots but the same charges apply. The staff have their own staff car park but even they pay for their permit .

[josie48]

I see your point to a certain degree bednobs but the welsh did a heck of a lot of lobbying for free scripts and parking. I don't see why anyone in the uk should have to pay. Contact your MP's,get petitions going and keep on until your MOH take notice.

[buildersmate]

Its a gimmick, for goodness sake. It reduces the income to the NHS Trust, which means less money to spend in the hospitals.
The Welsh Assembly HAS NOT SAID it is going to make-up the shortfall of money from the car-parks from its own resources. And ther'e no reason why the Health Secretary should.

[josie48]

Whereabouts are you bigmamma? Its a disgrace to expect patients and their familys to pay for parking is'nt it? As you rightly say,even under the blue badge scheme people are still having to pay. Its about time this was stopped!

[Coobeastie]

Don't think patients and visitors should pay but if the car parks were just free then they would get filled rather rapidly with commuters.

On another note why shouldn't blue badge holders pay, the badge is issued because of a disability not because you have no money.

[crimbo]

just for you information, the Wesh NHS stopped prsecription charges, as the department that processed the prescriptions was so expensive to run. It was cheaper to shut the department down and give free prescriptions everyone.
As for "bulldog breed" the NHS was set up by Aneuran Bevan, a Welsh man who used the idea from the Valleys where the miners paid into a community hospital fund every month month regardless if they were ill or not just in case they or their families became ill.

[anotheoldgit]

crimbo

Did I ever mention what nationality the founder of the NHS was?

When I mentioned the "Bull Dog Breed" I was referring to the once fighting spirit the English once had.

But thanks for the history lesson anyway.

[chairobyx16]

I would be interested in knowing the ammount per head allocated from central govrernment to each of the four providences.If school closures are deemed needed in some places and another can keep a school open for two pupils costing �100,000 per year- seems odd to me.

[Gromit]

I would sooner they treated patients with my taxes that go to the NHS not car parks.

[Gromit]

I would sooner they treated patients with my taxes that go to the NHS not build car parks.

[anotheoldgit]

You are beginning to repeat yourself Gromit.

Where have you been? Have missed you.

[Gromit]

Hello AOG,

I'm on holiday - I'm on my second week in Egypt and sending this from my iPod Touch on the beach. I have been dipping into the news section when I have not been swimming with the fishes in the Red Sea.

Wish you were here!!

[Quinlad]

FYI - an iPod Touch is like a miniature gramophone for young people.

[bigmamma]

Hi josie , this is in a NHS hospital in my town , in Lincolnshire .