NHS Car Parking-is prevention better than cure ?

Ivor_Pecheque

It would seem that our local hospital is planning "ANPR" technology which could result in patients receiving a £70 charge....

http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/11496916.Parking_charges_to_be_introduced_at_Knutsford_Community_Hospital/?ref=la

Seems like there is a consultation process (with staff) in place before it becomes operationalised in April 2015.

Already letters have been sent to the press, (as below), but any ideas for further levers ?

Dear Ms Flynn,

I read with horror the plan outlined by Tim Ward, Head of Facilities at East Cheshire NHS Trust, for Knutsford Community Hospital to use ANPR technology to enforce parking charges. “£5.50 a Day to Park,” (Knutsford Guardian 1st Ocober 2014.)

Whilst there is little doubt that parking spaces at the Hospital are open to abuse,

the use of ANPR technology, in partnership with the so called “Private Parking Companies,” is a fundamentally flawed business model.

The income generated by these companies is generated by failure, and can probably be best summed up by Rick Gale of the Parking Ticket Parking Service who notes that, “the incentive for these companies is not to make sure people come in on time and park correctly, the incentive is to earn money.” It's a business model referred to as “bizzare” in a recent case where these companies took a motorist to court.

It doesn't take a Consultant Neurosurgeon to work out why companies pursue patients aggressively, through the use of official looking letters, debt collection agencies and relentless pursuing of patients through the civil courts.

Don't take my word for it. You could ask pensioner Maryl Heald, who was pursued for £70 following a 13 second overstay at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, after the doctor in the outpatients department were running late. Or Kirsty Tierney-Jones, a pregnant lady of 38 weeks gestation, who was slapped with a £75 charge after she attended The Queens Hospital, Romford, when she feared the life of her foetus was at stake.

Perhaps Mr Ward should open up his consultation to the likes of Natalie Marshman, who was stung with a £60 charge after she attended A+E at Ormskirk, after her 2 year old son started fitting. Or Linda Wallis, who received the usual “leagalise” intimidating paperwork from the Private Parking partners of Queen Alexander Hospital, Portsmouth, after she attended with her acutely ill 15 year old daughter.

Your consultation process may wish to to speak to Carol Leny, who received a disproportionate charge after her breast cancer chemotherapy session ran late at Burton Hospital ealier this year, although I expect that you are already aware of the well documented (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2709056/NHS-hospitals-patients-hit-cowboy-parking-wardens.html) tactics of Private Parking Companies of focussing their efforts on cancer units, as “patients there are likely to be distracted.)

Please open your eyes Mr Ward. I thought it was your job to help vulnerable people. The system you advocate will not help solve your parking problems, and from experience, will consume you, your department, your staff and your patients whilst the coffers of your partners continue to swell.

Other , fairer, just, business models are available, and have been demonstrated to work effectively with your partner organisations.

Perhaps I should leave the last words to Laura Keely of MacMillan Cancer Support, who urged ministers to explore the situation urgently as she reports that “Extortionate Parking Charges are leaving cancer patients in desperate financial situations.”


Yours....

salmosalaris

Letter being drafted, any idea of the operator ?
I suggest you incorporate into yours
1. The governmental guidance
2. Patient confidentiality
3. The Beavis appeal
4. They may wish to liaise with their counterparts at Nortumbria and South Tyneside

trisontana

I have mentioned this before, but using ANPR, and not a windscreen ticket opens up the question of patient confidentiality. The driver may not be the RK. The latter will receive the parking charge notice and the driver may not have wanted the RK to know they have attended the hospital.

Ivor_Pecheque

carla.flynn@nqnw.co.uk

(Editor of the Knutsford Guardian)

Ivor_Pecheque

Estates manager... http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/tim-ward/46/637/917

Castle

salmosalaris wrote: »

Letter being drafted
I suggest you incorporate into yours
1. The governmental guidance
2. Patient confidentiality
3. The Beavis appeal
4. They may wish to liaise with their counterparts at Nortumbria and South Tyneside

And
5.The Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014

Folkiedave

It is clear that the Facilities Management here is contracted out to Soft FM. This includes Car Parking Management.

It may be worthwhile seeking who exactly has the power to do this (especially when it comes to court).

You might also encourage them to use the word "penalty" as in the newspaper report. It isn't one and cannot be one but the use of the word will help you if it ever comes to appeal/court.

Parking-Prankster

Dear NHS person in charge of car park tenders.


You will no doubt be aware that the average cost to a car parking company of issuing a ticket is around £20. However, most charge between £70 and £100.


You will also no doubt know that there is a test case regarding parking charges currently being appealed at the high court, which is ParkingEye v Beavis. This is scheduled to be held in February 2015, with the judgment in March. It is likely that if the appeal is upheld all parking charges issued at your site at a value of £70 will be invalid, and this will apply retrospectively.


Motorists will therefore be able to claim back for any parking charge issued over the last 6 years, and you should be aware there are already web sites gathering motorist's details for such an event.


If your contract with the parking company has them acting as your agent (for instance ParkingEyeact as agent gathering charges on your behalf, and issue you with a monthly VAT-only invoice), then this means that the parking company will likely not be liable to refund the motorist; instead, as the beneficiary of the parking charge, the NHS will.


In order to protect the NHS you may therefore want to take legal advice on the situation before awarding any tenders. You should know that North Devon NHS issues charges at £40 discounted to £20 and that this is sufficient to deter motorist.

Ivor_Pecheque

Love it Mr P.

bazster

Government guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

Umkomaas

bazster wrote: »

Government guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

'Fines' and 'Penalties' a-plenty in that missive from government. No wonder Joe Public continues to think he has to cough up!