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AIBU

Hospital Car Park Charges

(39 Posts)
rosequartz Sun 01-Nov-15 18:37:22

Am I being unreasonable to believe that the sick, the disabled and their relatives enduring a stressful time, and the staff caring for them, should not have to pay extortionate car parking charges - or any fees at all?

This proposal was to exempt carers from paying a car parking fee, but should anyone be liable to pay a fee if they are attending hospital or working in one?
Labour MP Julie Cooper, who was behind the Hospital Parking Charges Bill, wanted to change the law to protect carers from the cost of parking

Are any of you constituents of MPs Philip Davies, Christopher Chope or David Nuttall and, if so, what do you think of your MPs' filibustering?

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/30/tory-mps-filibuster-blocks-bill-to-give-carers-free-hospital-parking

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3297047/Attempts-carers-free-hospital-parking-talked-Tory-filibuster-one-MP-launching-90-MINUTE-speech.html

There is, of course, the problem that people will park in hospital car parks and go off to shop or even off for the day and avoid paying a car park fee elsewhere.

gillybob Mon 02-Nov-15 12:35:28

Parking Eye is truly evil ! You are photographed entering the carpark and you are photographed leaving. There is no time allowed for getting out of the car park. The speed limit is 5 mph are there are often queue's of cars leaving at busy times. There is NO allowance whatsoever. Not even a few seconds !

durhamjen Mon 02-Nov-15 21:08:41

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111441

Somebody's already started a petition on the government website to stop the filibustering.

etheltbags1 Mon 02-Nov-15 22:12:04

parking eye got me, I was taking my mother (84) to hospital after cutting her leg badly, blood was pouring down her leg and she lay ont he back seat with it raised. Couldn't get an ambulance so they said would I bring her myself.

I parked correctly in the disabled space and used her disabled card, got her inside and they dealt with the bleeding, I went to get something out of the car and found an unpleasant man taking notes, I asked him what was up and he said my car wasn't registered. I took the card into the hospital and they registered it and as the guy has said it would be ok I was not expecting a letter with a fine of £70.

I contested this saying I was unaware that a car had to be registered and asked what I should have done, should I have left her bleeding until I had registered the car. My main thought was to get her into hospital.
Also the disabled cards are not registered to a certain car but to the holder so if my mother was out with one of her friends she could use her disabled card in one of their cars. It seems pointless registering it with the hospital. I eventually got 'let off ' with the fine.
Parking eye is now not in charge of our hospital car park.

rosequartz Tue 03-Nov-15 11:17:16

Thanks for the link djen

rosequartz Tue 03-Nov-15 11:18:12

That is shocking ethel
It makes me very angry.

rosequartz Tue 03-Nov-15 11:22:01

Signed

Eloethan Tue 03-Nov-15 12:43:51

Hospital car parks do cost money to maintain and run and so some sort of charge is, I think, inevitable. In London, hospitals that are anywhere near stations or shopping centres would be used by commuters/shoppers.

However, I do think that people who have to visit on a regular basis/for a prolonged length of time should get either free parking or a heavily discounted permit. And I also think that a charge of £2.50 or £3 an hour is far too much. I think the MPs' behaviour was disgraceful and particularly Philip Green's who apparently, before the election, expressed his commitment to carers and was photographed carrying a placard to that effect.

Good for you Ethelbags. It always worth disputing fines that have been unfairly issued.

Luckygirl Tue 03-Nov-15 13:19:51

I am reliably told that the parking income from our local hospital goes to the private parking firm and not the hospital.

Ana Tue 03-Nov-15 13:22:37

Does the parking firm maintain the car park, though?

Ana Tue 03-Nov-15 16:14:18

If hospitals are getting absolutely nothing from the parking firm (I know some actually do get a percentage of the takings) why are they using them? They should be shopping around for a better deal!

rosesarered Tue 03-Nov-15 16:24:01

Exactly!

rosesarered Tue 03-Nov-15 16:25:21

In Oxford, where there are several hospitals, it's not just the money, but more a matter of can you actually find a parking space !

durhamjen Tue 03-Nov-15 23:10:31

They cannot shop around if it was part of the PFI deal.