Hospital parking fees. What's the answer

[cadygal257]

Just watching morning news and it's a big topic this morning. I'm just not sure what the right answer is.
I spend a lot of time at three separate hospitals.

Hospital A- near a city centre, if they didn't charge for parking it would be full of people who work or shop nearby

Hospital b- similar issue but near a large town centre, so again would be full of people working in the nearest town

Hospital c. Could offer free parking as no big shops or business nearby

I suppose you could introduce a "verified parking system" but that's got to be paid for as well and who covers that's

I honestly think there is no easy answer to this and believe me I would highly benefit from free hospital parking, dread to think what I spend each month

Your going to think I am crazy, but this is my plan, hospital car park is removed and used to build small studio rooms for training nurses and doctors to live onsite, nominal charge, a space is purchased about a mile away for a car park, with a free bus 24/7 that only goes to the hospital, this is free, however when you visit the hospital there is a code displayed , you enter this at the car park for a free exit, if you don't have the code you pay a going rate for the area.
The bus would be able to drop a person at their car if they were hospital staff working nights.

I have to use my local hospital quite a bit and don’t mind paying it would just be nice to actually get a space.
Our hospital has been there for decades and our town recently gained city status but as the hospital has grown and so too has the patient numbers, the car parks have stayed the same size. It is so stressful trying to find a space and going round and round in the hope someone will free a space up but then people end up fighting for that space. It is stressful enough going to hospital without worrying you are going to be late for a appointment even when you’ve left in good time.
At our hospital people are even taking to parking across the road at a local country park which isn’t ideal and it won’t be long before they put a stop to that.

The difference is though you can’t always plan for or avoid hospital trips. It’s not like a trip to a shopping centre you can avoid if needed or order online instead.

Thankfully I don’t have to pay for parking for DS at hospitals now as he has a blue badge but before that was introduced (and when he didn’t have a blue badge) I could easily end up spending £75 a month or more on parking for various appointments and admissions. It can be a massive burden for those who are often the most vulnerable. Not going wasn’t an option nor was public transport.

being chronically ill is expensive enough without the added burden. I don’t know what the answer is but I do think the current exemptions need to be expanded somehow. Not necessarily for everyone but so everyone with ongoing issues is covered

I don’t mind paying but can see if you can’t work and attend frequently it would be difficult and some thought should be given to that. I think our local hospital do charge BB holders. Would love to find out but have been turned down for a BB which had people laughing when I tell them that as my walking is so awful.

I do object to the rubbish company who are running it still charging you when you have paid and making you appeal about the fine.

I am sure there are a constellation of practical and better-for-all solutions that can be devised. However you really need to start with that key question in todays society: who will make the money from it ? Because unless you get the "right" answer, nothing will happen. That's the credo of capitalism. That's what we signed up for.

Not crazy. This is everything I wanted to say, but better put.

If we can add a large area for drop offs and another area for pick ups with a maximum waiting time of 30 minutes, plus a taxi rank - all the better.

If ifs and buts were fruit and nuts it would be Christmas everyday

For hospital appointments I’d like to see them come out with a bar code for free bus travel on that day only. Also free train travel between home address and hospital

for some it would be a 20 minute bus ride ( yes we all know there might be people it takes 3 hours and 5 busses, but not everyone)

encouragement to use public transport reduces cars in car park

free parking in car parking or everyone with blue badge

more bus services centered around hospitals to make public transport a viable option

free parking for the first 45 minutes

I’m lucky enough that any school or office I have worked in has had free parking for staff. As far as I know, no additional benefit is given to other members of staff who don’t drive and walk/cycle/bus into work as compensation.

I would prefer parking to be free for those working in the hospital but a payment system in place for patients/visitors.

There should be an affordable park and ride to include major hospitals as well as city centres. And it should be affordable- our local p and r takes 10m to.the hospital. Was £2 return pp. Its now £5 return pp. More than parking for a routine appointment! We used to use it all the time but have now gone back to trying to park at the hospital.

Hospital parking charges should remain the same but with applications for reductions for car registrations where long term regular appointments are required (regular radiography for example) and for all staff.

My local hospital is literally falling down, a large section of ceiling fell down a few weeks ago causing a ward to be closed, however the government have denied all requests for funding to sort it out. We are up north! The parking fees are the only way the hospital can get some money, however my friend who is a nurse has to either pay for parking or park in one of the side streets near it. But it is in quite a bad area and she has had her car vandalised, stolen, catalytic converter stolen when she does this. She works shifts so can't rely on buses or the park and ride service that the hospital does offer.

Far too sensible, Also nowhere near enough places for private enterprise to get their snouts stuck in.

Come back when you've found a more effective way to rinse the sick.

And Scotland.

When i was working in the nhs I worked in a trust that had zero staff parking. None whatsoever, so 100s of staff parking on the roads around the hospital, getting abused by people who live on the streets without residents permits. I eventually got a job at a different trust where it was guaranteed I'd be able to park. It sounds pathetic to be focused on parking but honestly it's so much better.
I paid £45 a month to park at the hospital I worked at. I've got stage 4 cancer now so not currently in work!

Nothing is "free".

Oh and the parking charges for the trust I work at now goes straight to Sodexo who do the parking and maintenance around the hospital. Not the best company if I'm honest but oh well!!

Exactly. Imagine how much money would be available to the NHS if it didn't have to make profits for private sector mega corps and other vested interests?

People talk about there being lots of waste but a lot of it is due to having to use certain preferred suppliers, that take the piss with pricing compared with the open market. Supplies, services, travel etc, all vastly overpriced compared to the open market.

Yes, I know that specifications have to be met, and quantities needed vast, but if the likes of Aldi can manage it, why not the NHS?

And on a less specialist level, services like travel. Instead of just finding a suitable hotel, flight or train ticket on a website, booking it and claiming back the cost, we have to fill in endless forms, which are then transferred to an administrator to book and when the booking comes back, it's always more expensive than the price that we would have got if we'd have just booked it direct in the first place.

People talk about there being lots of waste

"One mans waste is another mans £29million" - M. Mone.

I don’t mind paying for parking, but at my local hospital you have to pay at the machine on arrival. How on earth do I know how long I’m going to be taking a child to A&E? If it changed to pay on exit then it would be much less stressful.

At least it is better now than when DD was small and the machine only took coins, so you had to find enough change before taking your child to A&E!

I don’t mind paying for parking, but at my local hospital you have to pay at the machine on arrival.

The hospital car park that does that near me also doesn't allow another ticket to be bought if you are risking overstaying - you get charged for it. No attempt to hide the profiteering there.

It is so difficult to park at one of our local hospitals that we need to get a taxi.

Bus company has stopped direct route to one hospital I use. now takes 2 hours and no loo where we change buses, only a rain shelter.
Hospital in Oxford been told to reduce staff parking. Very few buses after 6.00pm
Wonderful way to help recruitment.
ps Oxfordshire going to charge higher fees at schools for teachers to park. A big help!

I hope the penguins are grateful.

I'm a teacher. I park for free at my school. And every school I've ever worked at. Seems very normal?

In Scotland here. The local hospital in Edinburgh is free, but at peak times you have to show an appointment letter or explain why you are there. Out of peak times anyone can park for free, but at peak times it is people using the hospital and staff, not visitors, unless you are with a sick child or visiting a dying relative. They do use a member of staff for this, but it seems to work well. I have always been able to park when I needed to. And since my DP has a chronic disability I am a frequent visitor at the hospital.

It has in my hospital. We have a tram stop. A shuttle bus between the two hospitals, linked to the tram and park and ride. And are on major bus routes. And there's still no space to park!