So folks, the government say that health staff who are working long shift, the disabled and people who visit the chronically ill in hospitals should not have to pay so much to park their cars; as this is causing stress to people, of course they’ve left it up to the health authorities to implement any changes, I don’t know about you but my local hospital has had many problems recently and I can’t see them lowering their parking costs any time soon.
Personally, this hasn’t affected me too badly, as my husband pushes my wheelchair like we’re at Brands Hatch and I have been seen fairly promptly but I’m sure other people have had a differnt experience.
If the Old Etonians funded the NHS properly then it wouldn’t be necessary for hospitals to raise cash through parking charges. Expect privatised car parks next.
Being an ex NHS employee and witnessing what goes on behind cosed doors by management (most of which are not clinical) I guess that the NHS will not exist in the very near future as it appears to me that it is being privatised through the back door. Very very sad. I truly hope I am proved wrong.
I know what you are saying Wendy but I wouldn’t mind paying higher parking fees if it means we keep our beloved NHS.
I don’t see my local hospital lowering their car parking fees voluntarily. They’ve recently opened a much-needed multi storey car park - lower floors for visitors and outpatients, upper floors for staff - and a new entrance to the hospital with shops, pharmacy etc. It looks great and the whole thing is a much-needed improvement to the whole arrival experience, but they need to recover some of the costs from somewhere!
Where I go for MS, there is free parkingg for Blue Badge holders.
The district hospital nearer to me has areasonable free parking area for BB holders with some bays set aside for wheelchair users.
If there is no space available, BB holders can park in any pay-and-display area. The hospital is converting all pay-and-display areas to "Pay on Exit. - Go figure …
One of our county councillors who lost his seat in the last election, says the only way to sort out our local hospital is to privatise it.
After listening to a programme on the radio yesterday about railways and how much money providers are charging the public (with increasing fares) and profits are not being capped, (even the US cap profits on their railways). Also staff are not receiving adequate pay, I don’t think that privatising a hospital is a good idea, the only winners in this scenario would be the investors.
I do agree Shazzie, as long as prices are not too steep, also I do think that visitors who have very sick relatives, should get some sort of concession.