Hospital Parking Charges - Scandalous!!!!

POPPYOSCAR

I just have to vent about this.

It is cheaper to park to go shopping than it is to visit a sick relative or attend an appointment in hospital.

My brother has been in hospital for seven weeks now. He has now been moved and the car park charges are even higher than the last one.

My SIL is already worried about their finances and tying to save money wherever she can. She was with him most of the day while he was settled into the new hospital. It cost her £10 in the car park. Even just two hours is £3 while it is 90p to park in the town centre to go shopping.

She is trying to hold down her job and spend as much time with him as she can and is under a great deal of stress.At this rate she may well end up in there as well.

She is having to park away from the hospital and walk over 20 mins each way.


This is so so wrong.

Diamandis

Yeah, hospital parking is expensive. I go to hospital quite regularly and have to travel over 90 miles each way and pay for parking too. It's expensive being ill.

SuperHan

It's expensive, but it's an income stream for an already underfunded hospital. Think of it as a donation in exchange for your brother's care and it becomes a little more palatable

Valli

some hospitals (ie ones I have been to, can't speak for all) have long term/free tickets available for the next of kin of long term patients

ComicGeek

Have they asked about any long term relative discounts? When my MIL was in hospital for 10 weeks we were able to pay a small one-off payment which enabled us to use the car parking without any additional charge. We just got our parking ticket validated at reception after each visit. I'm not sure if it was because she was in critical care, or just a general offering.

Our hospital charges are higher than £10/day, so would have cost our family a fortune over the 10 weeks. I don't agree with hospitals charging at all - here we don't have good bus services, so there aren't really any alternatives. And even if I did want to get the one bus a day, it would cost me more than driving and parking.

Ames

Is there anywhere off site you could park? If there's somewhere with free parking even if it means a short bus journey it'll be a lot cheaper.

fred246

I bought a folding bike for £50 off gumtree. Great for hospital visiting. Hospitals have yellow lines for a mile or so round. Just park where you can and then bike and leave it at hospital entrance.

deanos

Our local one costs £15 for a 10 day pass, quite reasonable , have you checked if your hospital does the same ?

agrinnall

£3 for 2 hours is pretty cheap, it's £4.30 for 1-3 hours at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. But this is hardly a new issue, it's been in the news for years now. In Scotland nearly all hospital parking charges were scrapped in 2008 so it's been an issue for at least 10 years.

PS Hope your brother is making good progress.

giraffe69

No charge in many areas will lead to spaces being used by commuters. Very high charges and no discount for regulars may be wrong but a basic charge is not scandalous.

sheramber

Hospital car parking fees were abolished in Scotland in 2008.

However, Ninewells, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh still charge as they are signed up to private contracts to manage their parking facilities.