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Original poster

Do you think NHS staff should have to pay £10-15 a day for parking?

184 replies

MrsLemonadeBrain · 11/04/2018 13:56

I work in the hospital and parking is probably an hour and a half’s wage (maybe more) for a shifts parking (it goes up to 18 quid if you’re on a long)
This has always been fine by me. But the last three days when I’ve been leaving work and paying for my parking (pay on exit type jobby) several people have been outraged about the cost of my parking and feel like they need to spend 10 minutes telling me how outrageous it is!
What is the general opinion on this?
Should I be as outraged as all these patients suggest?

OP posts:
MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals1 · 11/04/2018 14:56

My DH pays £60+ for parking each month; I think it's flipping ridiculous!

Also, it's not as if the money is paying for security or space...
There's barely enough room for him to park in the Staff car park - he often ends up leaving it on a verge etc.
And these car parks are not secure - I have heard (from him) that there have already been at least two break-ins in the staff car park which ended both times with the cars being written off.

Tansie1 · 11/04/2018 14:57

"If it's like every hospital I've ever been to as a patient / visitor where it's very hard to find a very expensive space. Then I think it's fair enough to charge high rates to staff who are able bodied enough to use public transport / park and walk / cycle to dissuade them from using spaces that could otherwise be used for patients. "

I work at a DGH. The vast majority of our patients make, at most 2 visits per 'condition'. Many come once and never need to come again.

Why do you think it's OK for staff who need to get there 46 weeks a year to have to schlep in from a PnR so equally able bodied people can park outside?

Of course if someone is disabled, on crutches etc etc, they should be able to park close (all the 40 spaces in the closest car park are Disabled Only) but if I were visiting hospital to get an xray on my sinuses, say, I don't see why I shouldn't use a PnR so the staff can park on-site!

Tansie1 · 11/04/2018 14:59

GrassyAss those 'saving lives' would be unable to save those lives if it weren't for the admin staff, the porters, the cleaners!

What an odd thing to say!

LittleCandle · 11/04/2018 15:04

I work in a hospital (although I'm not NHS staff) and there is very limited parking and it is charged. If I wanted to park for a full day's work, it would cost me almost an hour's wage and the charges have just gone up 10p per hour. I am fortunate enough to be able to park for free at a friend's house close by. But there is not enough parking at the hospital, they have just built a new hospital on one car park and there is no additional parking. Staff might get a discount on their parking, but it is a lottery and if you don't get the discount, tough. Public transport is pretty good, but most people require to get more than one bus to the hospital, which means it can take more than an hour for a 15-20 minute journey. I don't think there should be parking charges at hospitals.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 11/04/2018 15:05

I think you know what the majority of posters are going to say.

Maryann1975 · 11/04/2018 15:06

I started a thread on this about 12 months ago after seeing a nurse having to pay for her parking whilst visiting a sick grandparent. I was outraged and couldn’t believe that the hospital staff had to pay parking charges. I seem to remember a lot of people who responded said that they had to pay for parking and so the nurses also should.
When you look into the times they work, they quite often start quite early, so public transport wouldn’t work. Or they have families and have to drive so they can get their child to and from childcare within the start and finish times. If nursery doesn’t open till 7 and you have to be on the ward by 7.30, there might not be time to catch the bus in to work. (I’m aware other jobs also have similar issues, but it’s not like a nurse has an option of where they work, it’s either the hospital or nowhere. If you are a shop worker, you can at least choose which town you work in based on things like parking availablty if you wish too).

Trinity66 · 11/04/2018 15:07

Absolutely not, they should be able to park for free

HelpTheTigers · 11/04/2018 15:07

Wow!

I think that a payment for parking is fine, but definitely not £10 per day. My employer had a car park where spaces were allocated according to grade, work role (i.e. if the car would be used for work purposes) and some disabled spaces too. After a few years the policy changed and everyone could apply for a parking space at a monthly charge which was far less monthly than you are paying per week.
I used to park a few streets away and walk, which saved money and gave me some exercise too.
£10 is definitely a lot!

Grassyass · 11/04/2018 15:08

Tansie1 Of course all the staff matter but it was the hospital management who made the decision that only medics could park on site because they were the most crucial staff. Don't see why that's odd? I don't agree, but that was their justification.

IntelligentYetIndecisive · 11/04/2018 15:09

If your hospital trust does staff parking passes, try getting one of those.

My hospital charges differing rates according to which car park you want to park up in. The closer you park, the more expensive it is.

tangledyarn · 11/04/2018 15:09

Its ridiculous. I think that nhs workers should have discounted rates. Its not feasible for a lot of people to get to work by public transport and particularly for people at lower bands its a huge amount of money. My partner is a band3 administrator..but he's lucky in that he can get to work on the bus @ £60 a month which is reasonable.

NKFell · 11/04/2018 15:10

I think it's just something you have to factor in, I think all parking charges are ridiculous nowadays but look at people working in retail, some city/town centres have similar parking costs.

BarbarianMum · 11/04/2018 15:11

If they take the train or bus to work do you think that should be covered too, or just perks for car drivers?

RunningjustasfastasIcan99 · 11/04/2018 15:14

I don't think that ANYONE should have to pay to park in a hospital

19lottie82 · 11/04/2018 15:14

In an ideal world it would be nice for them to get free parking, but plenty of people, in fact most people that work in any city centre have to use public transport as it’s too expensive near their place of work. That’s just life.

thetwinkletoescollective · 11/04/2018 15:17

It has never ever crossed my mind that paying for parking at work was a thing.

Aridane · 11/04/2018 15:19

Not being goady - but it never occurred to me that free parking would be a perk of the job.

CupofFrothyCoffee · 11/04/2018 15:20

It is absolutely outrageous.

LittleLionMansMummy · 11/04/2018 15:20

I seem to remember a lot of people who responded said that they had to pay for parking and so the nurses also should.

Ah yes, the archetypal mumsnet race to the bottom. Self flagellation seems to be a thing these days.

No, nobody should have to pay to park at a hospital.

WaxOnFeckOff · 11/04/2018 15:21

That's a lot of assumptions

And your point is what exactly?

MrsFionaCharming · 11/04/2018 15:22

The hospital I work at doesn’t have enough on-site parking, so you apply and are given points according to certain criteria. If you get enough points, you can pay £30 via salary sacrifice to park on site. Otherwise it’s £12 per day.

I don’t get enough points, despite commuting over an hour to work, so I was told to apply for a park and ride permit. Sadly the park and ride is also full, so I wasn’t able to get one of those.

The hospital applied to build a multi-storey, but the council rejected the plans, and made even more of the surrounding area residents permits only - about a 3mile radius.

Local churches and businesses donate their car parks for staff (but you still have to apply and pay for a permit), but there still isn’t enough parking.

In the end I was ‘lucky’ enough to get a park and cycle permit. So I can park in a random car park a few miles from the hospital and cycle into work.

It’s as though they don’t want us to come into work!

silverbirches · 11/04/2018 15:27

I had an outpatients appointment yesterday and had a slight moan about the parking charge. The person I was talking to said that staff have to pay over £300 a month to park at work Shock
Apparently the hospital car park land doesn't belong to the NHS and they have no control over it.

ThinkingQueSeraSera · 11/04/2018 15:27

I don't think hospitals can do without it and most people have to pay to park if they drive to work.

Changebagsandgladrags · 11/04/2018 15:27

I think if your doing shifts that start or finish at night then parking should be free for staff. 9 - 5 or day shifts, no I don't think they should be free as there will be public transport options in most cases.

SaucyJane · 11/04/2018 15:27

Most people have to pay to park near work or to travel to work.

However, i guess lots of hospitals are out of the town centre, so what else would you be doing with the spaces? Plus, NHS staff don't get paid enough or decent pay rises overall IMO.

So... yeah I think there should be fee free staff only sections.

The hospitals that charge for the benefit of the hospital - fair enough. The ones where it goes to the PFI "partner", no.