Today I'm angry about.....

[jimbo]

Don't know if this has been brought up before, BUT...hospital parking, today i am angry about hospital parking.

Got a phone call at work yesterday afternoon, 'try not to panic but your dad's been rushed into hospital'. So off i goes to the infirmary, where i spent half an hour trawling a circuit of the bastard place, not knowing if my dad was fecking alive or dead, trying to find a parking space, getting blocked in by indecisive old biddies stopping their Skoda in the middle then deciding to reverse back, well i cant reverse back you daft old cow i've got 8 cars behind me cos of the queue you've created.

In the end drove back half a mile to the main road, parked in a side street and ran to the fcking hospital...only to see my dad walking out of A&E, apparently he'd fainted at work and was just taken in as a precaution.

Angry? You bet i am !

(And then we go and get tatered 4-0)

Well look on the brightside, OJJ, had you parked on the hospital car park then you'd have had to pay for it!

Today, tomorrow and for every other day that they're charging to park on hospital car parks I'll be proper blazing about it. Especially at North Manchester where, and get this, even as a patient you're meant to know how long you'll be there because they have a pay and display.

That's shit. Most of the ones I use are either £1.50 or £2 per day. Adds up if you're using them often though!

[Bruce Rioja]

That's shit. Most of the ones I use are either £1.50 or £2 per day. Adds up if you're using them often though!

When you say "That's shit", Jimbo, I trust you're in agreement with me as I speak from experience. It is indeed shit, especially for those in our friends position above. At Salford Royal they now have a manned barrier system which causes a queue back upto The Inn of Good Hope. Are worried visitors, outpatients and so on not stressed enough without all of this.

Nice to see you trivialise the amount there too!

[Worthy4England]

today i am mostly being angry about people who ring me up when i am not in (in itself summat to get cross about - why do that???) - and they leave me messages - even though they want ME to do summat for THEM - to phone them back ON A MOBILE NUMBER - which is gonna cost me squillions of quid to ring.. enough already - landline - or ring me when I'm in (and not otherwise engaged!)

I would suggest one of two approaches.

1) Get shut of the answer service. Then they have to ring back and can't leave messages

or

2) change your answer machine message to tell them you can't ring them back and they should try again

[jimbo]

That's shit. Most of the ones I use are either £1.50 or £2 per day. Adds up if you're using them often though!

When you say "That's shit", Jimbo, I trust you're in agreement with me as I speak from experience. It is indeed shit, especially for those in our friends position above. At Salford Royal they now have a manned barrier system which causes a queue back upto The Inn of Good Hope. Are worried visitors, outpatients and so on not stressed enough without all of this.

Nice to see you trivialise the amount there too!

I do speak from experience. I've had to pay to park at Blackpool when visiting A+E myself for various injuries - as you know waiting times can vary massively so how long do you buy a ticket for?

I also see it from my side with me having placements at 6 different hospitals this year, with me spending not enough time at any individually to warrant buying a permit, but instead having to pay each time I park there!

[Bruce Rioja]

I do speak from experience. I've had to pay to park at Blackpool when visiting A+E myself for various injuries - as you know waiting times can vary massively so how long do you buy a ticket for?

I also see it from my side with me having placements at 6 different hospitals this year, with me spending not enough time at any individually to warrant buying a permit, but instead having to pay each time I park there!

Was one of my original points. However, regardless. Why do we pay for hospital parking?

[jimbo]

I do speak from experience. I've had to pay to park at Blackpool when visiting A+E myself for various injuries - as you know waiting times can vary massively so how long do you buy a ticket for?

I also see it from my side with me having placements at 6 different hospitals this year, with me spending not enough time at any individually to warrant buying a permit, but instead having to pay each time I park there!

Was one of my original points. However, regardless. Why do we pay for hospital parking?

Tis all because hospitals are now being run as businesses by trusts whilst still being government funded and trying to provide a decent standard of care that is free at the point of use.

We could always sack overpaid trust employees who sit behind desks with pointless development and managerial roles to come up with their blue sky thinking proposals and use what budget is saved from their dismissal to fund our free parking?

[Worthy4England]

I do speak from experience. I've had to pay to park at Blackpool when visiting A+E myself for various injuries - as you know waiting times can vary massively so how long do you buy a ticket for?

I also see it from my side with me having placements at 6 different hospitals this year, with me spending not enough time at any individually to warrant buying a permit, but instead having to pay each time I park there!

Was one of my original points. However, regardless. Why do we pay for hospital parking?

Tis all because hospitals are now being run as businesses by trusts whilst still being government funded and trying to provide a decent standard of care that is free at the point of use.

We could always sack overpaid trust employees who sit behind desks with pointless development and managerial roles to come up with their blue sky thinking proposals and use what budget is saved from their dismissal to fund our free parking?

At the risk of interjecting between two debating sides here, I thought we paid our income taxes and National Insurance to fund the health service?

Similar with Council Car Parks at shopping centres - we pay Council Tax to fund them...

If an independent company planned a shopping centre development there would be a specified number of car parking spaces that would need to be provided. Why should Council Car Parks be any different?

[Bruce Rioja]

Tis all because hospitals are now being run as businesses by trusts whilst still being government funded and trying to provide a decent standard of care that is free at the point of use.

We could always sack overpaid trust employees who sit behind desks with pointless development and managerial roles to come up with their blue sky thinking proposals and use what budget is saved from their dismissal to fund our free parking?

Our new(ish) HR manager has come to us from the NHS. I don't know where to start. I really don't. If I had a £ound for every time I've heard "Do fecking what?" "Does she think we're fecking four-year-olds?" etc. etc. I'd be able to help several people pay for those car parking fees.

I find anyone that can actually come up with a revenue raising scheme that demands money from those at all levels of 'a bloody low eb', delivering themselves or others for treatment or else visiting loved ones (sometimes for the last time) to be despicable to the power of 10, possibly evil (help me out, a word escapes me). Then to charge the nusing staff themselves? This is a fecking outrage and we seem to be putting up with it.

OK, allow me to throw this to more informed minds than mine - do we know when this was all started, and if so, by whom?

[William the White]

Tis all because hospitals are now being run as businesses by trusts whilst still being government funded and trying to provide a decent standard of care that is free at the point of use.

We could always sack overpaid trust employees who sit behind desks with pointless development and managerial roles to come up with their blue sky thinking proposals and use what budget is saved from their dismissal to fund our free parking?

Our new(ish) HR manager has come to us from the NHS. I don't know where to start. I really don't. If I had a £ound for every time I've heard "Do fecking what?" "Does she think we're fecking four-year-olds?" etc. etc. I'd be able to help several people pay for those car parking fees.

I find anyone that can actually come up with a revenue raising scheme that demands money from those at all levels of 'a bloody low eb', delivering themselves or others for treatment or else visiting loved ones (sometimes for the last time) to be despicable to the power of 10, possibly evil (help me out, a word escapes me). Then to charge the nusing staff themselves? This is a fecking outrage and we seem to be putting up with it.

OK, allow me to through this to more informed minds than mine - do we know when this was all started, and if so, by whom?

I think I know when we moved from a society that felt social provision for what was needed was a collective responsibility to a time when everything that could be charged should and would be charged...

If you don't like it or can't afford it, don't visit your sick relatives, it's not like you haven't got other ways to spend your evening, i it? Or get a taxi, or catch a bus... oh, yeah, buses... Anyway... Just stop whinging about it... join BUPA...

[Bruce Rioja]

If you don't like it or can't afford it, don't visit your sick relatives, it's not like you haven't got other ways to spend your evening, i it? Or get a taxi, or catch a bus... oh, yeah, buses... Anyway... Just stop whinging about it... join BUPA...

Or call an ambulance. That'll hit 'em where it hurts!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

At the risk of interjecting between two debating sides here, I thought we paid our income taxes and National Insurance to fund the health service?

Fine, but it's obvious that free parking would mean that either the taxes you mention would have to be increased, or the total amount spent on healthcare would have to be reduced. Neither is a particularly attractive option.


I suppose part of the argument is that there is a lot of excess demand for parking at hospitals, and charging for it might be one way of ensuring only those that truly need it use it. So, to go back to Jimmy's example - he was already struggling to find a space in a stressful situation... imagine how much worse that problem might be, if parking were free.

I had cause to visit Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge a few times because of a stress fracture of my left tibia. Now then, that place is an enormous, sprawling, mini city in its own right - it struck me the first time I went (while I was resenting paying for my parking) that they really have to do everything they can to discourage people from taking their cars there, because catering for everyone's parking needs was an enormous task. Next time I had a scan, I cycled. I appreciate that this is unlikely to be an option for many hospital visitors, but it weeded me out at least. Who knows how many others can get buses (to the hospital stop) or lifts etc.?

I believe (though I may be wrong) that the trend is increasingly towards bigger, 'super' hospitals and away from smaller ones, and I suppose this serves to make the problem worse?

[Little Green Man]

Trams...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edi ... 560788.stm



I suspect Springfield will get another monorail before the first tram runs in Edinburgh.

[Bruce Rioja]

I think I know when we moved from a society that felt social provision for what was needed was a collective responsibility to a time when everything that could be charged should and would be charged...

And I didn't ask re - broader points, my friend, and you know it!

Hospital parking charges. Who and when?

[William the White]

At the risk of interjecting between two debating sides here, I thought we paid our income taxes and National Insurance to fund the health service?

Fine, but it's obvious that free parking would mean that either the taxes you mention would have to be increased, or the total amount spent on healthcare would have to be reduced. Neither is a particularly attractive option.


I suppose part of the argument is that there is a lot of excess demand for parking at hospitals, and charging for it might be one way of ensuring only those that truly need it use it. So, to go back to Jimmy's example - he was already struggling to find a space in a stressful situation... imagine how much worse that problem might be, if parking were free.

I had cause to visit Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge a few times because of a stress fracture of my left tibia. Now then, that place is an enormous, sprawling, mini city in its own right - it struck me the first time I went (while I was resenting paying for my parking) that they really have to do everything they can to discourage people from taking their cars there, because catering for everyone's parking needs was an enormous task. Next time I had a scan, I cycled. I appreciate that this is unlikely to be an option for many hospital visitors, but it weeded me out at least. Who knows how many others can get buses (to the hospital stop) or lifts etc.

I believe (though I may be wrong) that the trend is increasingly towards bigger, 'super' hospitals and away from smaller ones, and I suppose this serves to make the problem worse?

Inelastic demand the problem - the sick are sick. their loved ones need to visit them. the buses are terrible after six o clock. the opportunity to make money is there...

Market forces operating as they do...

but glad to note, i laughed out loud, that mummy comes up with the classic Tory line, from the days of Norman Tebbit... Get On Your Bike...

[thebish]

Telegraph...

Charges for parking while visiting family and friends who are in hospital will be scrapped within three years, Andy Burnham the Health Secretary has said. Mr Burnham announced that in-patients will be given a parking permit to last for the duration of their stay in hospital which they can give to family and friends to put in their car windscreens during visits.

Hospitals can earn up to around £2 million a year from charging for parking spaces and some commentators warned that scrapping the fees will hit the NHS at a time when budgets are being cut and £15 billion to £20 billion of savings are being demanded.

The move was welcomed by campaigners who have called the charges a 'tax on the sick' but they were disappointed that outpatients will still be charged.

so - if you want them to be scrapped - vote labour!

[Bruce Rioja]

So, to go back to Jimmy's example - he was already struggling to find a space in a stressful situation... imagine how much worse that problem might be, if parking were free.

Hang on. So tell me, PB, who are these people that needlessly turn up at hospitals in cars? I think that charging might encourage car sharing amongst visitors where possible, true. But I'm struggling beyond that.

[thebish]

So, to go back to Jimmy's example - he was already struggling to find a space in a stressful situation... imagine how much worse that problem might be, if parking were free.

Hang on. So tell me, PB, who are these people that needlessly turn up at hospitals in cars? I think that charging might encourage car sharing amongst visitors where possible, true. But I'm struggling beyond that.

lots of old people used to park free in NHS carparks to have their sandwiches and wait to die... now they don't... it works!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

So, to go back to Jimmy's example - he was already struggling to find a space in a stressful situation... imagine how much worse that problem might be, if parking were free.

Hang on. So tell me, PB, who are these people that needlessly turn up at hospitals in cars? I think that charging might encourage car sharing amongst visitors where possible, true. But I'm struggling beyond that.

I take the point competely, Bruce (and the same one that William made in the language of inelastic demand). I offered an example (myself) and suggested that some might find alternative ways of getting there (buses, lifts etc.).

I'm just tentatively presenting the side of the argument that says it's partly about reducing/managing the number of cars on hospital sites, as well as raising revenue.

[Little Green Man]

so - if you want them to be scrapped - vote labour!

Not quite true - it took an SNP overthrow of Labour to scrap them up here (or at least semi-scrap them - I think some of the bigger out-of-town-super-mega-PFI-health-factories still have them).

[Hoboh]

The free parking spaces at Townleys are easy to spot, they are infested with Merc's BMW'S huge 4x4's and the odd lexus, it's the consultants car park. Of course they could never catch the bus or bike it they have to dash off for their private consultancies!