to be upset about shitty hospital parking?

[NatashaHartford]

I'm sat in my car crying because I've missed my antenatal growth scan because the hospital don't have enough car parking spaces. I've spent 35 minutes driving around the car park trying to find a space. Heavily pregnant and in pain so can't park round the corner and walk just over a mile which is what I would usually do. I even phoned them as soon as I realised and they were lovely about it. Turned up in the clinic when I finally got a space and they sent me away. Terrified my baby isn't ok, missed my growth scan, had a day off work that I didn't need and am an emotional wreck. Built myself up to find out whether my baby was ok or not today and now I am in the dark with no further appointment booked.

AIBU to be in a complete state over this? Can't afford a private scan and their consultants are all booked up so could be another two weeks.

Even had to pay for parking because I was in the car park so long it clocked me as having parked and cost me £2.00, just to top it off!

It's frustrating isn't it. I used to turn up an hour early for antenatal appointments just so I could park in time.

YANBU.
Find out who the head of midwifery is and email them. Contact PALS. Did they rearrange there and then?

I've never had a problem before and am now just full angst. I live an hour away anyway so it's taken me a long time to get here. They haven't rearranged anything. They've told me to call tomorrow.

I used swear that our local maternity hospital had styrofoam models of cars in the spaces as they never ever moved. About 25 spaces for a city of 600000 people.

I gave up and caught the bus. It’s crap. What’s worse is the big cancer teaching hospital next to it never had any spaces either. So people going through the trauma of chemo have to queue and fight to find a space.

They basically made out that I should've left earlier and that it's my responsibility to get parked. I left with more than enough time and really didn't expect to spend 35 minutes driving around trying to get a space as that has never happened before. If they can't fit me in they can't fit me in but I'm struggling to deal with my anxiety at the moment...

That's utterly shit and it's terrible patients are being treated like this. It makes you feel like an inconvenience just for being there.

Hospitals in general do not seem to have enough parking. Between staff and patients it's a nightmare trying to find a space at my local hospitals.

Hospital car parks are annoying. I was ill during my pregnancy so was there every week and parking made the whole thing more stressful.
Next time, if you can, try and get there an hour early. You’ll probably find you park straight away when you are early and be waiting about for a bit.

Definitely call the head midwife and try and get a new appointment

I live 20 miles away from the hospital so it takes a long time for me to get there. Public transport just isn't doable. The consultant said she is running so far behind that she can't see me today. I just give up. I just want to know my baby is alright.

I wonder if this is the hospital I’m currently sat in.

I nearly missed a growth scan 3 weeks ago due to this problem. I ended up parking in a hatched box (very lucky I didn’t get fined) and had to run up the antenatal clinic. I wouldn’t have been able to do that now as I have started suffering more with my hips. I made it by the skin of my teeth.

I arrived extra early today to allow for this problem, so had to leave work earlier than I should have needed to, just due to this problem.

It’s an absolute joke (as are their parking charges and general parking policy but that’s a whole other thread).

Ours is terrible too. I work one day a week at the cancer hospital and it can take me 15 minutes to get into the car park, another ten to find a space ( including a multi storey bit where you drive on the wrong side of the ramp to what you would normally drive on a road , and have to hold the car on a hill start while the person in front of you parks ! ). The ticket machines break every day and then queues build up sometimes twenty odd people in the queue. It must be a nightmare for poorly people. For the pleasure of parking here I get charged almost £7 a day. My alternative is a 25 min walk through a dodgy park and area with people everywhere using drugs.

35 minutes definitely isn’t long enough here. I think they say an hour in the letters they send out here, or an hour and a half when they are digging up the car park which is all the bloody time. It’s a nightmare when you’re generally rushing to and/or from work.

I had the same problem while in labour and had to walk - all drop offs were full too! Was a nightmare and very painful

It’s happened to me in my local hospital too, the 30 mins I allowed for parking just went and I had to phone and explain. I was v lucky in that they squeezed me in later (I had my 3 yo DD with me as it was for getting her cast off her leg). I had to drive down the road, park up in a residential street and hoof it back up a hill with her in a buggy, and then wait an hour. It’s so bloody stupid!

I'm not surprised you are upset. It's horrible. I think 35 minutes should be enough time to get a space so don't beat yourself up about that. If you have the energy to follow advice above to email PALs and head of midwifery I would. They do take notice of complaints. I have significant experience of parking at hospitals and it's total crap and then to pay as well! I do make complaints to hospitals frequently ( when necessary) and they do change stuff. I hope you are okay and your baby is okay

Mine is terrible too! It’s 30 miles away and last time I had to wait nearly an hour to get a parking space. It means I have to take more time off work than should be necessary which my employers aren’t impressed about!

@Namechangeforthiscancershit I didn't have a letter. They just booked the appointment at my last scan. I've literally never had this issue before. They just called to say they have one day of appointments but I can't make it as I am out of the area. I really can't make it. I have a funeral and I won't miss it. This is such a mess. And now they are saying if I don't have the scan I won't be able to give birth in the MLU as they can't confirm baby is ok.

Hospital parking is a nightmare. Both the main hospitals in my area have lots of little car parks, instead of one big one, so you have to drive round each one in turn. At least if there was one big one, you could just keep driving round and round it.

I nearly cried when cutting it fine for an appointment when I pulled out of the second packed car park to see 3 or 4 cars pulling out of the first one. I couldn't just go back because the road round the hospital is one-way.

At the city centre hospital, it is usually easier to find an on-street pay and display space, but they're a max of 2 hours, so there's a risk of getting a ticket.

Of course, when you pay the exorbitant charge for 2 hours parking, you get seen really quickly and are usually out in half an hour.

for you.
This was me a couple of weeks ago.
Eventually I abandoned my car in one of the 20 minute spaces and just went in.
Thankfully the MW I was due to see was on the reception desk and she said to just leave my car where it was and we have a very speedy appt as I was 25 mins late.
I did still sit in my car afterwards and have a cry as it had all been so stressful.
Bloody hormones did not help.

Hope they are helpful when you ring in the morning.

How do you get on with your midwife?
Can you give get a call and see if there is anything she can Do?

that can’t possibly be the only day they have any appointments. Keep on at them.

The consultant I'm seeing only does a clinic on a Wednesday. I honestly give up...

It makes you feel like an inconvenience just for being there.

That's basically the entire ethos of the NHS these days!

Can you get somebody to drive you next time and drop you off? I had either XH or my mum with me for each scan appointment.

Our local hospital is exactly the same, not enough parking spaces, the staff all get there an hour before their shift starts just to get a space.

They took away the park and ride which made things even worse. This is a very rural area, so patients travel from far and wide and have to use their own cars to get there.

For future appointments would it be worth driving closer to the hospital and then parking up and getting the bus for the last mile or so if it stops near? Hospital parking is so bad that I ended up taking the bus that stopped right outside to save the stress.