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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be completely fucked off with hospital parking?

243 replies

PooDogMillionaire · 22/01/2016 09:36

DS had a very bad crack to the head last week, I rushed him to A&E and there was nowhere to park... The only place to pull in had big red signs saying I'd be towed if I parked there, meanwhile DS is almost unconscious, pale with a bleeding head Angry.

I've just arrived at the same hospital for my second attempt at my maternity booking in appointment only to find a 7 car long queue for the very expensive car park. Both appointments have been at 9:30 so I haven't had much time to get up here from school run and have now had to cancel both as nowhere to park.

I'm not sure what the solution is but if be scared to go into labour and not be able to find a space!

OP posts:
Toomuchtea · 22/01/2016 14:47

When my Dad died last year we were rung up in the middle of the night by the hospital and told to get there as he was near death. It struck me at the time how absolutely absurd it was that the first thing we sorted out, before we even left, was how much money we had and whether we had enough to park, and how likely it was that anyone would be patrolling at 1:15 am if we didn't.

The conversation you have when you're going to hospital to be with your Dad when he dies shouldn't start off "Oh God, have we got enough change to feed the parking machine?"

There was a notice on the car park saying you could get the car park fee back if you were there for someone who was dying, but frankly, that's not the first thing on your mind when you're trooping out of the hospital at 3 am, having watched your much loved Dad die. And the reception isn't open, and trooping back 40 miles to get it is, well... not exactly the first thing on your mind.

Original poster
PooDogMillionaire · 22/01/2016 15:20

What does everyone think would be a solution?

I know our hospital raked in £1 million in parking fees last year. 5% was put back into patient care. The rest was used to maintain the parking systems, which someone worked out meant they spent around £2800 a day on maintenance Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
PooDogMillionaire · 22/01/2016 15:21

I can't imagine they are ferreting it away or using it for big bonuses, but seriously, a little planning wouldn't go a miss.

OP posts:
bigbluebus · 22/01/2016 15:35

Part of the problem (at least it is at our hospital) is that the parking is outsourced to an independent company - so not controlled by the hospital. A couple of years ago, my DD was admitted to hospital the week of my DFs funeral. I was staying with DD so my car was on the hospital car park 24/7 and I was going out each day to pay. On the day of the funeral DH was collecting me in his car so we were going to be left with one car on the car park but I wouldn't be there to pay at the due time. I told the parking warden about the situation and she told me I could pay online at the appropriate time Hmm. I did point out to her that I had more important things on my mind that day and that there wouldn't be wifi in the church - she wasn't interested in the slightest Angry

KERALA1 · 22/01/2016 15:38

I live right next to a hospital and staff and patients parking in residential streets has been causing massive resentment. Our little cul de sac is rammed at the weekends yet the hospital car parks lie empty. All very badly managed.

ElasticPants · 22/01/2016 15:43

My hospital is in a city, right near a shopping centre. I park at the shops and walk over, the difference in price means I can have lunch after my appointment and still spend less than parking at the hospital.

Dollymixtureyumyum · 22/01/2016 15:44

Our hospital is awful. It's getting to the point where all the roads around are backed up with cars trying to get a space. We live within walking distance so always walk and allow relatives, friends etc to park on our drive when they need to go.

It must be awful to have to rush someone in to hospital or get a call to get there quick as someone is seriously ill or dying and you can't find a space to park. I wonder just how many people have missed saying goodbye to a relative due to not being about to park the car (I do know of one).

TheClacksAreDown · 22/01/2016 15:50

Rather hospital dependant of course but my closest one in London has little parking as it has expanded haphazardly over the decades and has nowhere to build any more parking. When I was having very frequent ante natal appointments I had to allow a lot of extra time to allow for finding a space if I was driving, leave plenty of extra time to get public transport or get a cab.

x2boys · 22/01/2016 15:58

yeah its crap i worked for the NHS for nearly twenty yrs there has never been enough parking for staff and visitors when i first started working there in 1996v they were talking about building a multistorey car park at the hospital i worked at they are still talking about building it ,even staff have to pay monthly to park and they are not guranteed a space come after 5pm however asfter all the managers have finished and there are loads of spaces.

Varya · 22/01/2016 16:02

Had cancer but still had to pay a fortune to park. Wrong IMO.

SchnooSchnoo · 22/01/2016 16:10

Yep, expat, my dd immuno compromised, so no public transport for us.

Although I was pleasantly surprised at the cost of parking at the hospice my dad died at. £1 per hour in west-central London! Not loads of parking, but we always found a space.

PersephonePitstop · 22/01/2016 16:11

I'm on reduced hours at work following surgery but still have to get in early in order to get a (paid-for space). If I leave it until later in the day I've got no chance and have to pay again for a Visitor's space! Angry

Original poster
PooDogMillionaire · 22/01/2016 16:27

Here's a thought. If they coordinated shift patterns could they not put on a park and ride service for staff?

OP posts:
Heatherjayne1972 · 22/01/2016 16:36

Yeah I've been stuck in the multi story looking for a non existent space and had to call the clinic from the que to say I'm here just can't find a space. So annoying

NorthernLurker · 22/01/2016 17:03

I work in a hospital. A few points:

If you are in a city centre location, like the hospital I work is, you face the problem of non-hospital users using the car park on a regular basis. A way round this is to make it financially unattractive to do so but if you are going to do that you also need to ensure that patients having long term treatment or C-sections for example don't get penalised or charged. We have a system by which we can remit charges and you can escape from the car park without paying for your ticket. This is also used for example if visiting a seriously ill patient where your need to park is urgent and your stay uncertain. Making hospital car parking free will not allow patients and vistors to get parked more easily at most urban hospitals.

The local council will have a view about how many spaces you have and how they are used. It is not as simple as just adding more parking unfortunately.

Doctors arrive late for clinic for a number of reasons - including personal issues such as parking. However far more likely they were dealing with an urgent referral or request.

clam · 22/01/2016 17:19

Well, I was quite impressed this morning at my outpatients appointment. There was a notice up saying that if your appointment was delayed and you were fretting about over-running your pay and display car-park ticket, to inform the receptionist of your car's details and they would text the attendant and tell them to allow you extra time.

AnnaBegins · 22/01/2016 17:20

Our hospital has tiny car parks and huge charges too, and you can only pay in change. So when I went into labour we made sure we had £20 in pound coins. We paid for 24hrs as that was what was needed. When back in the children's ward 3 days later the nurse told us she could give us an extra ticket to turn a 2 hour ticket into a 24 hour one. Apparently all wards can do that, funny how maternity don't mention it though...
Apparently the wardens are so strict that the staff get fined all the time Sad

shovetheholly · 22/01/2016 17:33

I have a nice story about this.

A few years ago, DH injured himself quite badly while on a fell run, falling over and hurting his head. Instead of calling an ambulance, the wally called me and I ferried him to A&E. To give some dramatic context, there was a lot of blood and I could see his skull so I was pretty scared. But I knew I couldn't show it or he'd panic and I also had to focus on the driving.

I dropped him off, then parked the car, only to be faced with a meter and big warning signs about clamping. You couldn't pay by card or phone, I didn't have enough change and no easy way of getting any (it was a Sunday and the shops were a distance off - plus I wanted to be with DH).

I felt totally panicked and lost - and the whole stress of the situation just got to me. I did the shamefully unMumsnetty thing of bursting into tears. Two lovely women stopped and gave me the extra 70p I needed and a tissue and stood with me for a few seconds while I pulled myself together. I said thank you, but I fear I was a bit distracted. I've often felt bad about not having shown them more gratitude. I wish I knew who they were so I could thank them.

PersephonePitstop · 22/01/2016 17:36

If they coordinated shift patterns could they not put on a park and ride service for staff?

That could work for a city hospital but mine is in the middle of nowhere, I'd have to set off the night before to get there by public transport and a taxi would be £60 each way!

newyear16 · 22/01/2016 17:55

I took my dd to A&E in the dead of night. I forgot to take my purse so couldn't pay for the 24 hour parking. The car park was empty but there were still warning signs about fines whatever hour or circumstances. I asked the receptionist on duty and she confirmed that wardens still roamed the place at night and advised me to go off site and park in one of the side roads, which I did, leaving my dd, who had been coughing up masses of blood being triaged by the nurse.

ElasticPants · 22/01/2016 18:19

At my local hospital here are always tickets stuck on the sign next to the machine with time still left on them for people to reuse. I always put mine on there if haematology clinic is running on time, although it's a rare occurance

It always makes me smile, like everyone's sticking a finger up at the wardens.

HelloCanYouHearMe · 22/01/2016 18:27

Sighing UHCW is beyond dreadful. Ive seen ambulances not able to get through because of the sheer volume of traffic trying to get on site. Ambulances not able to get out of A & E because of the queue of cars waiting to get in to the A & E car park (although I think some of the car drivers were at fault there)

Then you have the roadworks right outside of the hospital coupled with them now digging up the car parks.

When I went into labour, DP booted me out at maternity and went off to park the car - he was gone a good 45 minutes at 730am!

MiddleAgeMiddleEngland · 22/01/2016 18:33

A couple of years ago I gave my space to a family who were in huge distress - trying to park and get to a dying relative. I was just leaving and although I was going to make a couple of phone calls first I fortunately noticed their panic. To not get to the bedside of a dying father/grandfather because there was nowhere to park is unthinkable and so sad. Sad

A child I know was actually born in the hospital car park as the father couldn't find a parking space.

It's complete madness and should be urgently sorted out.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/01/2016 18:35

Here's a thought. If they coordinated shift patterns could they not put on a park and ride service for staff?

This is pretty much what ours does for staff, patients and visitors. There's a large, free car park off site with a park and ride service that runs every 10-15mins to the hospital. In addition certain patient groups (including oncology patients) and some staff are given permits for free parking on site.

SevenOfNineTrue · 22/01/2016 18:36

I agree.

My Mum had terminal cancer and I had to take her to A&E one day in an emergency. It was quicker that I took her in the car than call an ambulance. There was seriously nowhere to park so I drew up near A&E (not in the way of any emergencies I'd like to add) and took her inside, got her checked in (the stupid nurse was going on about how they were full up and who gave me "permission" to bring my Mum along, I politely but firmly put her in the picture) then tried to find a place to park. I had to park in the staff car park in the end. I did not give a crap. Believe me anyone who would have had an issue with that would have been on the end of a serious rant.