NHS parking dilemma

[Buniadot]

Let me preface this that I am grateful to all the NHS workers for their hard work and dedication to their job.

I've wanted to start this thread as I've recently seen numerous debates about this on social media. Oftentimes someone's complaining that NHS workers are parking their cars on residential streets where parking is available at the trust. The post usually has a plethora of comments ranging from those agreeing it's a nuisance to those saying it's reasonable.

I have made a few observations myself, I am aware that they may make me sound like an AH but they seem the most logical to me.

• if parking is available at the workplace then it should be used (whether free or not)
• to address expensive parking, almost all workplaces don't offer free parking, doesn't matter what industry. A lot of workers aside from NHS, pay for parking and live.
• to address antisocial hours, as above, there are other industries that won't necessarily have free parking and have to pay for it
• the NHS offers good job stability in this day and age (always understaffed so not much chance of losing your job, they need you), fantastic pension, the pay isn't great but also not out of the norm, discounts for on site nurseries etc, overall don't the benefits outweigh the cost of parking?
• to clarify, I do understand if there's no parking available then absolutely look for an alternative but I find it cheeky to use residential roads when there's ample parking available at some trusts.
• I can see why people get frustrated with there being no space near their house because of people that work. Now before people say 'buy a house with a drive' it's sometimes not possible, some get house by council and are grateful for what they have, or some that own their house may not be able to afford one with a driveway. It's cheaper to pay for parking at your workplace thank buy a house with a driveway.

So, AITA for thinking that being an NHS worker doesn't exempt you from paying for parking and you should be more considerate to residents in the area?

I hope we can all have a discussion about your views.

To be honest it is unreasonable to have a shuttle service that doesn't coincide with shift patterns.

Unless you're talking about residential streets with a permit only scheme, YABU.

As much as I would like to have a legal right to park outside my front door, I don't.

Anyone can park wherever they like as long as it's within the law.

In my trust, you aren't allowed to have a permit and park on site if you live within 5 miles of the hospital.

Most people need to do the school run / nursery run / don't want to travel on 2 buses for an hour (typical for the area we live in) very early in the morning or late at night after a 12 hour shift.

Obviously they are going to find somewhere nearby to park - wouldn't you?

What the actual ???
A long post to have a moan about NHS parking - because it's been on SM ??? Really how pathetic

Oooooh an NHS bashing thread we haven't had one for all of five minutes

My trust the carpark is full by 8.15. the alternative is the park and ride, which adds 40min into my journey, assuming the bus turns up, and is longer for me to drive as I have to drive past the hospital to get to it from home. They are introducing only font line staff can have permits yet, which I'm going to appeal as I will have to collect my daughter from school from neat year, none of which are on a bus route and I can't work my hours and still collect her by six. I can't afford to reduce my hours so if I can't park at work it's going to be streets within 5min walk sadly, or I can't pay my mortgage.

Anyone can park anywhere as long as it's legal. If parking is a problem for residents they can apply to the council to get residents only parking restrictions.

I don't see why NHS staff (or anyone else)should park for free unless people travelling in by public transport are going to get an equivalent discount.

My employer provides parking and it costs about £1.50 a day. Up to £2 a day seems fair to me. Although it depends on what other parking is available, if hospital at parks are half empty it suggests the cost should be reduced. Where I work there is no free parking anywhere, public car parks cost much more so my employer could charge a bit more I suppose.

I really think people should be discouraged from driving everywhere. I accept it's difficult for people working odd shifts but I know an awful lot of people at my work who live within walking distance and or on bus routes and they still drive.

I don't see NHS staff as different to anyone else, they are better paid than equivalent private sector roles. No reason for them to get free parking. There's more of an argument for free parking for patients, although again those coming by bus or taxi have to pay and are probably the worse off ones. Anyone who can afford a car isn't that poor.

If you live next to a hospital then parking will be an issue.
Many urban hospitals spend a lot on parking and security but would not be able to provide enough space or do this for free.
Park and ride schemes, free buses and cycle parking for all should be encouraged.
There’s no point in being angry with people who park on public roads; look for solutions.

Hospital parking is extortionate where I am. I get free parking at work but if I had to pay £10+ a day I’d park elsewhere and walk / cycle in.

It’s a complete nightmare for NHS staff to get a parking spot as patients are prioritised.
Image being a doctor rotating every 6 months, you never make it to the top of the list. Imagine working in several different trusts and having to pay for parking permits for them all.
Imagine having a strict deadline of when to start work eg travelling between sites for clinics in your lunch hour and not being able to find a space in the staff car park…
You’d park anywhere you could legally wouldn’t you?

If the government want to ensure people drive less instead of having hardly any car parking spaces, they need faster, reliable public transport.

If you are nurse facing a gruelling 12 hour shift, you are not to want to walk 10 mins to a bus stop at 6am, wait in the rain another 5, spend 35 mins while the bus makes stops every 100m... if you could do a quick 20 min car ride.

I'm banned from parking in the hospital car park where I work. The reason is I live too near the hospital. It takes me 40 minutes to walk which I have done on many occasion.
But after a night Shift or even after a 13 hour day shift it's just not nice. There are a couple of roads I can park in which I do. Outside someone's house, not over a dropped kerb, totally legal.

Also at the hospitals with the worst parking, you have the added issue that parents with kids in intensive care etc, ate often given permit for the staff car parks because they'll never get space in the patient ones. Plus a lot of regular hospital users chance it and desperately park in staff car parks because there's no space. The John Radcliffe in Oxford is particularly bad for this, it has nowhere near enough car parking. Its nowhere near a rail line either. There are buses/park and ride but its slow and generally speaking, all the reasons you wind up needing to go to a hospital are the same reasons getting there on publix transport isn't feasible.

Here's a crazy idea, OP... how about when someone parks on the public bit of road that happens to be outside your house you don't 'make observations'? You don't judge, you don't speculate, you don't curtain twitch and you don't stir up hate on SM. Instead, you recognise that whatever they are doing there and for whatever reason they are parking there has absolutely nothing to do with their entitlement to use a completely public and legal bit of road and you just get on with your day

Antique if its a 40 min walk is there no bus you can get? It must be barely a couple of miles.

@Buniadot fantastic pension, the pay isn't great but also not out of the norm, discounts for on site nurseries etc, overall don't the benefits outweigh the cost of parking?

YATA just for this. On site nurseries? Maybe on Grey's Anatomy, not in any NHS hospital I've ever heard of. Also the pension isn't fantastic any more.

There is limited staff parking at both hospitals I work between. As PP said, this is taken up by 7am by the dayshift nurses arriving. I start at 8.45. One site is urban so I pay a council car park. The other site is a town so I park on a residential street. The residents don't like it, but I pay my road tax and park legally, so tough. I live near a train station. Commuters park in our street to get the train. I survive. Also, if there was paid parking at the site with residential (free) parking, I wouldn't pay for it - why would you, when you could walk another five minutes and save the cash?

Hospital sites that charge for parking do well out of patients attending for appointments and visitors. This could easily support free staff parking. I think with the current staffing crisis in our public healthcare, and the refusal to pay nhs staff a fair wage, free packing is a small ask.
Even with free parking, spaces are limited and shift working and swap over times makes it difficult for staff to find anywhere to park.
As long as the car isn't causing an obstruction, they should park where they like, just like everyone else that pays road tax.

Yes and do people realise that if you are on shift and on the arrest bleep you can't be gagging for ages unable to park. It's a basic requirement.

The hospital I used to work at had a 5 YEAR waiting list for a staff parking permit (which wasn't free, £60 per month was deducted from your wage for the privilege). Using the visitors car park cost £12 a day. Yes, that is decidedly more than most people pay to get to work! I had to be onsite for 13 hours at a time (12 hr shift with handover each end) and, working as an HCA, was earning pence above minimum wage.

Diddums if you can't find a parking space on the street OP, it isn't "residential parking" it's just parking. Unless of course there's a permit scheme in operation.

Faffing. Hopefully not gagging 🤣

Nurses are often in work for 6.45am. What do you think the bus service is like at that time? Would you choose to stand at a bus stop at 6am when you could just drive?

No, I think staff should be able to park for free in hospital carparks. It's utterly disgusting that they don't.

I'm a teacher and don't pay for my parking at school.

Our trust has off site parking... it's a good 20 minute walk away from the hospital and you pay something like £50/ month for the pleasure. No shuttle service. Honestly its crap.
So people park wherever its legal to park and that bit closer to the hospital... you really can't blaim them. I mean have you looked outside lately- its blustery, raining and cold.