Hospital Car Parks

[Bazile]

The above subject always seem to polarise views

Yesterday i attended for an appointment at the hospital.

The clinic was running late - appointment 10:45 - seen after 12

I was asked if i had driven .
I was given a form to take to reception , where i was charged the minimum amount for parking .

Pleasantly surprised

[andy-hughes]

I think charging patients to park at a hospital is depthlessly immoral.

[Islay]

Very nice
I have no objection to paying for parking at hospitals its a bonus if I get to attend one where I don't need to.
I have an appointment every month at which I have to pay for parking - I just save up my 10p and 20p to feed the machine.

[Mamyalynne]

That seems a fair system Baz - well done to them.

[Ratty2E]

That was very fair of them and something I've never come across before. I don't really mind paying for parking although admittedly I don't go that often. Our hospital is near to some large offices with limited parking so the hospital charging means I have half a chance of getting a space when I do go.

[Gherkins]

One would rather take the bus than be overcharged for parking! However, im sure the NHS benefits from the accumulated change.

[ladybirder]

We would gladly pay for hospital parking if we could get a parking space. Always full. And very very lucky to get anywhere near to park even though parking charges here are very expensive. Taxi or a lift is what we have to do.

[Gherkins]

I'm lucky that my local bus runs almost from my house, to the hospital.

[ladybirder]

Yes, you're very lucky Gherkins.

[bookbinder]

I think that hospitals should charge for car parking. I went, recently, to a
hospital not far away, where drivers have to obtain a ticket from a machine at
the car park entrance. A barrier then lifts, and the driver goes in and finds
a space. He pays for his parking at a machine inside the hospital, drives to
the car park exit, and inserts his (paid) ticket into a machine. A barrier lifts,
and away he goes. Recently, the entry barrier was out of order, which meant that
nobody had to pay for parking until it was fixed. The locals soon found out that
they could park there for nothing, and genuine hospital visitors had great difficulty
in finding a space. If hospital car parks were permanently free of charge, those who
needed to be at the hospital would be seriously inconvenienced.

[Gherkins]

"If hospital car parks were permanently free of charge, those who
needed to be at the hospital would be seriously inconvenienced."

I never thought of it that way!

[hellywelly4]

I understand that hospital car parks in my area were abused big time by locals who parked there for free, and then took the bus into town, so the hospitals had to bring in charges. Usually if you are a 'regular' there is a system for cheaper/free parking at most hospitals I think.

[sunny-dave]

The real answer is to build huge, efficient, mega-hospitals at the àrse end of nowhere with great expanses of free parking - which would not be abused since there would be no other reason to park there. Add in a free shuttle bus or three from local population centres and you're done.

It would also reduce the 'frequent flier' abuse of A&E, make ambulance access fast/safe and concentrate medical excellence and knowledge in fewer, safer, hospitals.

It will never happen because communities are ridiculously attached to their 'local hospitals' - however dirty, old, inconvenient and unsafe they are.

[gingejbee]

^^^well, I've been a visitor to a local "community" hospital recently...it's a brilliant place, less than two years old and has the feel of a private hospital. There are always parking spaces for which there is no charge...and the first thing you get (as a visitor!) is the offer of free tea or coffee in a proper cup!

[Old_Geezer]

The minimum amount being zero ?

[Peter Pedant]

no the moolah does not go to the Hospital
but the parking company that has bought the franchise

Hospital direcctors etc were given pay rises, medals and higher pensions if they pioneered money raising schemes like this - the money raised is selling the franchise

bit like tax farming in the New Testament.

so long as these wonderful specimens dont migrate to somewhere important like the treasury we are relatively safe

[jno]

The local shopping mall-ette has a car park that charges. But if you spend more than about £5, Sainsbury checkout people stamp your parking ticket and that allows you to leave without charge. Sounds as though your hospital has a similar sort of scheme, and rightly so.