Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking charges at hospital

25 replies

fifitot · 01/11/2011 18:31

My LO is in for an operation soon and found out that the only car park at the hospital charges £18 if you park over 5 hours - which of course I will.

I find it appalling to have to pay so much. There is no alternative place to park. Public transport is impossible too as we have to be there so early (7am) and no bus from where we live leaves early enough.

Only other option is a taxi but that will cost even more.

I can't believe there isn't a concession if you are in for a full day or more. I don't mind paying for outpatients appointments as it is my choice then to take the car - as I could technically use a bus during normal hours - though it would take twice as long.

Just think it's awful.

OP posts:
Moomoomie · 01/11/2011 18:34

Worth saking if they do a parking permit, our local hospital does.
Still costs £5, but covers 24 hours.
If not, either see if someone will give you a lift and pick you up, or pay the money to park.

sunshineandshowers13 · 01/11/2011 18:35

holy heck - move to scotland, hosp parking fees were abolished couple of years ago Blush

am sure you have enough to worry about without added hassle of spending more money. Its always so expensive when they're in too.

Hope the op goes well for your lo.

blueemerald · 01/11/2011 18:35

This is one thing the American health system has got right over the NHS (or at least it had last time I was there...): If you are attending an appointment or visiting someone in hospital your parking ticket is stamped and there is no charge.

I agree it is disgusting to charge someone to attend or visit a hospital.

LilRedWG · 01/11/2011 18:36

Our HA offer a £1/day for anyone attending the children's ward or for chemo etc. It's worth asking as they don't always advertise this sort of thing.

Which HA is it?

3littlefrogs · 01/11/2011 18:37

You will probably find the ward will give you a pass. They usually do for parents of children/patients with serious illness/on ITU etc.

ThePerfectFather · 01/11/2011 18:37

You are absolutely NOT being unreasonable. The NHS receives a vast amount of money each year and a large chunk of it goes to pay whichever consultants came up with the idea of sticking huge charges on hospital car parks.

I visited an uncle in hospital last year when he had a stroke and because I was 10 minutes over the ticket when I returned to my car in tears, I saw a parking attendant giving me a £60 ticket. We were a whisker away from coming to blows I was so angry and gave him an absolute gob full. What do they expect? That I tell my sick and dying relative to hold on while I go stick a few more quid in the meter?

Worse still, they are handled by private companies meaning a chunk of the money you pay to flipping GO TO HOSPITAL goes to pay those dicks.

Here's a solution - sack a few management consultants and have the car park free for anyone with a legitimate reason for being at the hospital in order to prevent people parking there just as a free place to park.

Original poster
fifitot · 01/11/2011 18:38

Thanks for the goodwishes sunshine.

As I said I don't mind if I pay during the day as I do have a sort of choice about getting there but they stipulate you have to be there by 7am which is so early.

If I was just visiting someone I would expect to pay too. There definately isn't a concession unless someone is in high dependency unit or your outpatient appointment runs late.

OP posts:
Mandy2003 · 01/11/2011 18:38

Is there hospital transport, bookable through your GP? Or a volunteer drivers group?

TheTenantOfWildfellHall · 01/11/2011 18:39

Sunshineandshowers13 that's why ours are so expensive.... Wink Same with the tuition fees.... Angry

That's absolutely shocking fifitot It's so expensive! I hope your child's operation goes well.

NinkyNonker · 01/11/2011 18:41

I almost wouldn't mind if the hospitals got most of the money, but many sub contract to private firms who take the bulk of it.

Andrewofgg · 01/11/2011 18:41

If the hospital is at a place where if the car park was cheaper it would attract shoppers or commuters - guess what would happen! Then there would be nowhere for legitimate users.

Any sort of scheme for restricting access to those with a reason for being there would cost a small fortune to administer.

ratspeaker · 01/11/2011 18:42

Good luck with the wee one in hospital

sunshine not all hospitals have free parking in Scotalnd
Those built under PFI still charge
ie Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where even the staff can hardly afford it

Groovee · 01/11/2011 18:42

I'm in Scotland and our main hospital charges for parking. Cost me £6 when having a failed MRI and it cost DH a fortune when I was in hospital this time last year :-(

Mandy21 · 01/11/2011 19:18

As others have said, parking charges are disgraceful especially if you have to attend repeatedly. I had premature twins a few years ago and they were in the Special Care Baby Unit for 8 weeks and 4 days. If you're paying £6 a day for one car (nevermind your husband paying when he comes after work, or grandparents etc) it soon mounts up. A few months later my husband was in Christies on and off for 3 months and I think that was £5 a day too.

Some hospitals will give you a parking permit - I think we had one for 2 weeks when I'd first been discharged when the babies were still in SCBU and there are some concessions if you meet certain criteria depending where you are (unemployed or in receipt of other benefits).

There are a million and one other things that parents / patients / carers should be worrying about rather than parking charges, especially when its not the hospital that ultimately benefits but some private company.

NinkyNonker · 01/11/2011 19:27

The hospital at which I had dd would stamp your ticket/register your reg plate with the firm so you couldn't be penalised for running over your time. So you bought a ticket for a few hours and if it looked like you were going to go over someone would phone the parking firm and tell them. They also said that the firm only really checked to see there was a ticket and not the finish time, so there was flexibility.

Our hospital is not near any shopping facilities bar a large Tesco, so maybe that is why they can be flexible.

cat64 · 01/11/2011 19:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
fifitot · 01/11/2011 19:39

I did think of that cat64 but DH will have to stay and take the other child to school and then come in.

It's not so much the money, though god knows £15 is £15 and we are not well off - just the principle really.

Thanks for all your good wishes everyone. Be glad when it's over.

OP posts:
NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes · 01/11/2011 20:47

It is worth asking if the hospital can do anything for you.

I had to take my son into hospital yesterday, second time in two days, because he was having breathing difficulties, and I was in a bit of a flap in the car park.

Will I was finding change for the ticket machine the attendant came over and asked me how long I was going to be and I said I didn't know but yesterday we were in paediatrics for just over five hours.

He asked which one my car was and said it would be fine without a ticket. Seven hours later, when we got back, there was a little coloured sticker on it that I think was his way of making sure nobody gave me a ticket.

duckdodgers · 01/11/2011 20:52

Sunshine holy heck - move to scotland, hosp parking fees were abolished couple of years ago

No thats not all true - Glasgow Royal - the main hospital serving the East of Glasgow has a private company running their car park and charges are high. Other hospitals in NHS Greater Glasgow in Clyde may have free parking but it is strictly limited to 4 hours and parking tickets are in operation if you go over. When my child was an inpatient at the RAH in Paisley I obtained a note from the ward and got a parking permit from the attendants.

MrsTwinks · 01/11/2011 22:58

I agree ask the hospital. When I was admitted via a&e they let DH not pay the parking charges as it had been an emergency, surely they will do the same for a parent and child? Or maybe a taxi there would be cheaper than parking if not? then your DH could pick you up?

JustRedbin · 01/11/2011 23:09

Unless run by local councils these parking charges are unenforcible. You are likely to get a load of threats but they willl give up in the end.

Jenstar21 · 01/11/2011 23:15

Another one in Scotland - and another one who has to pay parking charges. I work at a major university hospital, and can't actually get there on public transport in time to start in the morning. I'm £45 a week - and that's a discounted rate. I really wish they'd thought about families - and staff - getting to and from these new hospitals when they built them.....
OP - hope your LO is bearing up, and will soon be home. Must be hard. :(

youngermother1 · 01/11/2011 23:17

Agree with JustRedbin - park, don't pay, get ticket, ignore and they go away. Do it myself for all outpatient appointments.

redpanda13 · 01/11/2011 23:30

Sunshine - not true. I have worked at the RAH in Paisley and once over 4 hours your car will be towed. This also applies to staff. As I don't want to excuse myself from patients to move my car this means parking in the surrounding areas. There have been instances of cars being vandalised and staff being attacked Sad
I would ask the hospital and I really hope you get something sorted out. You do not need the additional worry about money when you have enough to be dealing with.

Original poster
fifitot · 02/11/2011 19:32

I will ask them. Nothing to be lost in asking the question.

Thanks for advice and info.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread