hospital parking charges

mumto2loves

A friend was poorly during the night, at about 5am they went to a+e, the a+e parking is max 20mins so parked in the main car park.
They were kept in being tested and monitered until 3pm ish. when they went to get their car out of the carpark the charge was £32!!! They pressed the help button and the lady was very unhelpful saying that was the cost.
they then went back into the hospital and spoke to the man at the desk by the main door, explained they had been in a+e all that time, still had the name arm tag on, hospital prescription receipt and looked very poorly. Nope £32 to get the car out.

walked back to a+e and a nurse sold them an exit ticket for £6.50.

now although my friend was helped out in the end, i think its awful that he was told to pay £32 to park when he was in hospital being treated.:mad: I expect if he had had £32 on him he probably just have paid it, i expect alot of people would have just paid.

rant over, feel slightly better now:o

xangeleyes

I think if you're in A&E and you've got a car, the nurse/receptionist should issue a ticket for free parking, one of which you have to 'top up' if you're still in there (otherwise people would be giving away their tickets to someone else).
I HATE that you have to pay for parking at a hospital, but I understand why...I think.

Glad your friend is ok now though xxx

Humphrey10

If you have arranged your own transport to A&E they should thank you for saving them the cost of an ambulance journey, rather than charging you for parking the car imo.

ellay864

I had to take my OH to A&E the other evening...we were there just under 2 hours and it was £5. As we arrived I suddenly wasn't sure just what money I had on me...as it was I had just about enough all in coins. I did ask the reception desk lady what happens if you come out without a purse or without stopping at a cashpoint, and did they give free tickets but she just shrugged and said that if you had no money you did have 20 mins free parking in which time you could go back to your car then go get some cash. Fine if that was somebody in my position with my OH but if I'd been with young kids?? Regular visiting is one thing but how many people have parking money uppermost in their mind when their doing an emergency run

Lip_Stick

Hard for me to say this, but for once I'm glad I've got a disabled Dad. My son had to go to hospital for a half hour appointment. This would have cost over £5 in car park charges for a single appointment if Dad hadn't given us a lift. Times that by about 6 or 7 times. A shocking money making scheme from kids etc who are poorly. Awful.

Freddie_Snowbits

Please name and shame the hospital, so we can all feel pity.

Ooops, the maximum charge at GRH is £8.20 for 24 hours
http://www.gloshospitals.org.uk/Patients-and-Visitors/Travel-and-Parking/

OP, please enlighten us as to why you were charged so ecessively.

Note, when Freda was not very well last year, I recall not being charged very much at all!

Freddie notes that Southampto charges excessively, we should name and shame these authorities on this thread

bazzaboo

Last wk I had to take my son to a&e, we were there for 7hrs! I also had my daughter with me. After a very long day we where all tired, my nerves where blank after looking after a poorly 4yr old and a hyper 2yr old. We got to the ticket machine and it wanted 30quid!!!!!!!:eek: I nearly burst into tears.
There was a note on the machine which said that you can get a discount ticket from the department if you were there for a long time. Fair enough but why not have these notices at the a&e department which was a 10 min walk away. Which can be a very long 10min with 2 crying toddlers in tow.
I pushed the button and explained my situation and the young man was very sympathetic and let us out free of charge.:j:j:T:T
Made my day.

System

my local hospital has a max price of about £8 ish. on a recent visit at stupid o clock we were alllowed to park in a+e for 4 hrs , the receptionist said after a certain time the rules are relaxed.

Goldielocks

It is expensive parking at hospital isn't it, it does annoy me! I spent quite a lot of time visiting the hospital recently when my mother was in there and the costs of the parking really started to add up. Ugh!

ForEverEngland05

My local hospital doesn't charge...but it is almost impossible to find a parking space when needed.

I have heard of people who work elsewhere park there and share one car into town, taking up 4 to 5 valuable spaces. There are always some who spoil things for others.

xangeleyes

ForEverEngland05 wrote: »

I have heard of people who work elsewhere park there and share one car into town, taking up 4 to 5 valuable spaces. There are always some who spoil things for others.

Now this is WRONG and terrible!! How selfish can these people be! Grrrrr :mad: This really annoys me.

How utterly rude and disrespectful! I would never abuse such a thing. :mad: