Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

http://212.58.226.30/1/hi/health/4850562.stm

Is it wrong per se or is the level of charge wrong etc? Obviously they have to be built and maintained etc.

The only thing I have to say is that I wish they would move them out of the city centres and into somewhere where there is enough land to provide parking and extend etc. The buildings/land in the city could raise a good part of the cost of the rebuild etc.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

Charging to park your car at a hospital is wrong in my opinion but its a sad fact of life that the NHS needs as much money as it can get. I can see this thread just ending up as a bashing exercise of the NHS though as with any public service.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I think they are a fact of life for some of the older, city centre locations.

For newer hospitals, especially the ones built on greenfield sites which can have parking facilities incorporated into their plans I don't think there is any need for them.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I have to say that, as a way of providing some income for hospitals, I don't particularly have a probelm with it.

However, where they do go wrong is in the way that it's administered. When Mother-in-Law Nug was in hospital a couple of years ago, you bought a ticket much the same as you would at a supermarket, and it covered you for 24 hours. Unfortuanately, they now have barriers on all of the car parks at Grimsby hospital so, whereas it would technically only cost £1.50 to park all day, that would involve leaving the car there all day.

In my experience, what actually happened when Mrs Nug went in to have Baby Nug was that, because I had to shuttle back and forth quite a lot (to meet family and whatnot), it costed anything from 3 quid a day to £7.50.

Therefore, while I don't think it's morally wrong per se, I do believe that, at least in Grimsbys case, they should provide more for people who are likely to be making more than 1 visit a day.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

Last time I was at my local hospital, the total time was 35 mins. The charge was £2.50 as the only type of ticket was a 24h one. Seems very excessive.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I have to take my wife to the Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield regularly for treatment and they charge by the hour, yesterday we were lucky and only had to park for 30mins but it cost me £ 2. normally we are there for 2 hours and it cost £5. the longer you stay the more it costs.

There is nowhere else to park around there, I have spent ages sometimes trying to find a parking space, maybe if I lived locally I could find one but I live 14 miles away so don't know the district. So take into account the cost of fuel and car parking charges, plus the fact we are pensioners and it all adds up.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I don't think they should charge......no one goes to hospital because they actually want to be there, they go because they are ill/need tests or are visiting someone there. Charging for that is rather distasteful....

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

Or want somewhere free to park while they pop round to the shops.

I think hospitals should charge the going rate for parking - but just make it easy so that people don't have to worry about running out of time, finding a new space, etc every couple of hours.

And if a hospital subsidises car drivers by offering free parking, it should also subsidise non-drivers by paying for anyone's tube/train/bus fare too.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I find hospital car parking is normally over priced and un flexible with most places I have been offering a 24 hour ticket only. What gets me is thats fine if your going to be there 24 hours but what about the 30 mins visits?

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

I get your point but:
- people rarely go to hospital out of choice
- we already pay enough towards the NHS without it then charging us to use it
-in times of crisis (which is when we often need to visit hospitals) the last thing we want to have to worry about is having the change for parking.

I have lost count of the number of times I have had to make night time dashes to hospitals to find that I am in danger of getting fined/clamped whilst visiting someone at deaths door.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

i think they should issue passes to the patients so they can have one visitor parking for free at any time. The reason given for starting to charge for parking at our hospital was to stop shoppers parking in there for free. I agree they need to stop people parking that shouldnt be there but charging those receiving treatment of visting patients is outrageous

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

All I know is that my local hospital has the misfortune (for myself) to be located near the train station. And as the parking is so much cheaper at the hospital that's where everyone parks on a morning and smegs off for the day down in london.

Now I get a bus to the hospital and back as it's so much easier than the missus dropping me off or waiting.

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

The only way to get free parking at our Maternity hospital is to have a baby in SCBU. And its a bloomin liberty if you have to take someone to A&E when you have no idea how long you will have to wait. :fit:

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

In cases such as this - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4853084.stm

Yes, I think it is morally wrong.

Personally I do not object to paying for parking, however for long term patients I think there should be some sort of subsidised scheme, after all we have all paid our taxes right?

Re: Hospital Car Park Charges - Morally Wrong?
 

To be honest if Hostpital Car parks were free, all and sundry would park there, that's how I see it anyway