Is the NHS ripping us off?

[Surfer01]

Headlines the other day in the newspaper were that the hospital was going to charge disabled drivers to park.

To my way of thinking the hospital is funded by the taxpayer therefore the taxpayer has a stake in the hospital. If the hospital sends you an invite to attend an appointment and you do not pay for parking either way, then how can the hospitla be justified in getting a PPC to issue an invoice.

Even if it did go to court which is unlikely as you had an invitation in writing asking you to attend, you could not even be held liable for trespass as firstly you as a taxpayer have a stake in the hospital and secondly you were invited onto the premises.

If it is a barrier controlled parking area and you refuse to pay and refuse to give them any details, can they refuse to open the barrier and prevent you from leaving?

[green_and_mean]

Headlines the other day in the newspaper were that the hospital was going to charge disabled drivers to park.

To my way of thinking the hospital is funded by the taxpayer therefore the taxpayer has a stake in the hospital. If the hospital sends you an invite to attend an appointment and you do not pay for parking either way, then how can the hospitla be justified in getting a PPC to issue an invoice.

 

They are under no obligation to provide parking at all, they don't pay for my bus fare to trhe hospital why should my taxes subsidise your parking? The solution would be to sell off all the land used for parking and spend it on health care then all the whingers can just walk from the nearest on street parking.

[Surfer01]

We would be very lucky indeed to be able to get a bus to our nearest hospital as the bus only comes through our vilage twice a day, but I still don't understand why we in England should pay for parking whereas in Scotland and Wales I think it is free and nwo they want to apply it to people with a BB! I have no option but to use my vehilce and BB.

[greasmonkey]

green_and_mean,

you must have a bus that goes to the hospital we have to travel

15 miles on the bus then nearly 2 miles walking the last mile up a steep hill

so not everyone can use the bus

[Jamberson]

They do pay bus fares! The NHS is a fantastic thing - you can get free diagnosis, consultants, x-rays, surgery, food and beds and loads more - we forget how fortunate we are to have it. Imagine living somewhere where you can't even get a diagnosis when you think something is wrong, never mind treatment! This is a reality for many people around the world.

 

OK, it's a drag paying to park, but don't condemn the whole NHS just for that.

[green_and_mean]

I have no option but to use my vehilce and BB.

 

....and of course no doubt there are no yellow lines or pay and display bays outside the hospial!

[green_and_mean]

green_and_mean,

you must have a bus that goes to the hospital we have to travel

15 miles on the bus then nearly 2 miles walking the last mile up a steep hill

so not everyone can use the bus

 

Public money would probably be better spent then than sudsidising public transport than providing free parking for those fortunate to have a car, why don't you moan about that instead?

[Surfer01]

....and of course no doubt there are no yellow lines or pay and display bays outside the hospial!

From the road to the hospital is a considerable hike and anyway all the roads around the hospital are now resident permit parking so you are snookered Anyway I am not too sure why you seem to be happy that people have to pay for parking at the local hospital and it is enforced by a PPC unless of course you have an interest in a PPC.

[esmerobbo]

Our local hospital which I attend probably twice a month already charge for disabled parking, there are 6 free bays which are always full. They have a car park just for BB holders. It costs £2.40 for up to 3 hours, I don't mind paying.

Fortunately I receive DLA which is to help with the expense of living with my disability. The car park fee is an expense caused by my disability, if I wasn't disabled I would park somewhere free and walk the last part.

However I can see it being a problem for someone disabled who is on a limited income!

[green_and_mean]

From the road to the hospital is a considerable hike and anyway all the roads around the hospital are now resident permit parking so you are snookered Anyway I am not too sure why you seem to be happy that people have to pay for parking at the local hospital and it is enforced by a PPC unless of course you have an interest in a PPC.

 

My interest is as a tax payer having my tax wasted on subsidising parking at hospitals, if parking is such a problem in the area I wonder where all the staff would park if parking was free??

[Old Snowy]

A taxpayer having a stake in the car park? Whatever next! The chances are that the car park was actually built by a private company as part of a PFI deal and they will be able to collect the parking fees for the next 20 years on top of the rent that will be paid by the NHS Trust. Most PFI deals of this nature will see the constructor recoup their costs within four years. The rest is just profit. This explains why companies are crawling over each others backs to get at the deals.

 

Tax isn't being wasted on subsidised car parking. It was wasted - if that is what you want to call it - when private companies were handed these sweetheart PFI's which are in reality a licence to print money. Allowing the imposition of private parking company "invoices" on the users of these car parks is adding insult to injury.

 

I have no problem in paying a reasonable fee for parking but the emphasis must be on the word "reasonable" and when the cost per hour is double the local council car park rate one must ask where "reasonable" begins and ends?

[Surfer01]

Either way if it is private, there is a good chance that the invoice they issue are invalid. I don't think any one minds pay a reasonable rate but some charges are a real rip off. What is most annoying is that you pay for three hours, but sometimes it takes longer than that to complete your appointment and the PPc issue you with an invoice for "X" amount! What do the NHS do with the milliosn thedy get from parking charges in England?

[Old Snowy]

Where details are available they claim that the proceeds of invoices are ploughed back into the provision of car parking - and sometimes - they use surpluses to "benefit patients". Whatever that is supposed to mean? There are numerous documents available online - dutifully published by NHS Trusts in their desire to be seen to be open - that clearly reveal that NHS boards and their management fully intend the invoices as financial penalties and to ensure that "offenders" toe the line. Neither of these intentions would seem to be in the least bit compatible with NHS Trusts then attempting to seek (through the good offices of Trethowans solicitors) to recover the charges as "damages" at court.

 

You only need to see how many NHS Trusts use the words "Penalty Charge Notices" on the pages dealing with their hospital car parks - and what happens if you don't pay, overstay etc. Searching for and reading back-issues of various NHS Trust Board minutes is even more illuminating.

[stu007]

Hi

 

I think it is a sneaky way of getting you to actually pay for your appointment without you realising.

 

These car park are on NHS Land which is paid for by the taxpayer.

The companies operating these car parks pay a certain percentage of the fees back to NHS paid for by the taxpayer.

 

Is the NHS Really FREE?

[green_and_mean]

Hi

 

I think it is a sneaky way of getting you to actually pay for your appointment without you realising.

 

These car park are on NHS Land which is paid for by the taxpayer.

The companies operating these car parks pay a certain percentage of the fees back to NHS paid for by the taxpayer.

 

Is the NHS Really FREE?

 

Not only that there is a machine that sells snacks at my local hospital that charges for soft drinks and food, thats outrageous we should get a chauffeur driven car and a 3 course meal everytime we go to hospital what is the world coming to!!

[Nystagmite]

However I can see it being a problem for someone disabled who is on a limited income!

 

What's being disabled got to do with it?

 

Imagine living somewhere where you can't even get a diagnosis when you think something is wrong, never mind treatment!

 

I am actually in this situation now. I was also told for 20 years that nothing was wrong, when actually, there was.

 

Not only that there is a machine that sells snacks at my local hospital that charges for soft drinks and food, thats outrageous we should get a chauffeur driven car and a 3 course meal everytime we go to hospital what is the world coming to!!

 

Especially if you have to wait around for four hours!

[esmerobbo]

What's being disabled got to do with it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HMM! Maybe because that's what the thread is about! There is a clue in the first line of post No 1!

[Nystagmite]

It's still irrelevant. Everyone else (apart from those on low incomes) have to pay too - why should someone be any different because they have a blue badge?

[Yam950]

Maybe NHS staff parking should be free then too eh......

[Surfer01]

It's still irrelevant. Everyone else (apart from those on low incomes) have to pay too - why should someone be any different because they have a blue badge?

Perhaps it si because many people who have BB are unable to work and therefore are on low income. How would any one be able to distinguish between those who are on low income through no choice of their own and others? You cna have my disablity and I will happily pay for parking!

[Tricksy]

Perhaps it si because many people who have BB are unable to work and therefore are on low income. How would any one be able to distinguish between those who are on low income through no choice of their own and others? You cna have my disablity and I will happily pay for parking!

 

I understand where you're coming from, but people out of work (both jobseekeers AND ESA) automatically qualify for NHS travel costs scheme anyway, so their parking costs will be refunded. This change will only affect disabled people who CAN afford to pay, and why shouldn't they like everyone else who can afford to pay?

 

To those complaining about hidden costs, try moving to the US and paying hundreds or thousands for your healthcare instead of a few quid for your parking ticket!

[Surfer01]

I understand where you're coming from, but people out of work (both jobseekeers AND ESA) automatically qualify for NHS travel costs scheme anyway, so their parking costs will be refunded. This change will only affect disabled people who CAN afford to pay, and why shouldn't they like everyone else who can afford to pay?

 

To those complaining about hidden costs, try moving to the US and paying hundreds or thousands for your healthcare instead of a few quid for your parking ticket!

But with teh USA you have a choice if you are paying Medical Aid. In the UK we are paying for it whether you like it or not. This is nto a go at NHS staff etc as most do an excellent job, but it is a go at their parking charges etc which are nto cheap!

[green_and_mean]

But with teh USA you have a choice if you are paying Medical Aid. In the UK we are paying for it whether you like it or not.

 

Yes you pay national insurance for HEALTH CARE not free parking! You have a choice to pay for parking at the hospital no one forces you to park in their car park. Doctors surgeries don't have free parking why should a hospital provide free parking?

[greasmonkey]

this is not about blue badge or staff it is about having to go

to a hospital were there is no public transport and having to

go by car and as far as staff go they should get there union

to fight this charge or refuse to work there if they have to pay

out of there low wages we should not be supporting it ,

through picking against each other about how you get to

the hospital this is a charge agaist everybody and nobody should be supporting

it by saying we all have to pay so it must be right

[esmerobbo]

Each Hospital has a budget would you rather see this budget spent on health care or supplying car parking space? Like it or not these car parks cost money to build and to maintain. The original post on this thread was about free disabled parking which now is going to be charged for!

Its unfortunate but if supplying the parking costs, then the cost should be met by the user not the Hospital. Unfortunately the disabled person sometimes has no other option then to travel to hospital by car, whereas the able bodied have other options, in most cases.

Hospital staff is a difficult one,I agree they should have somewhere to park free, but how big a car park would they need for it? My local hospital has a staff car park but staff have to get in 1 hour early to get a space!

The problem is we have become so used to driving everywhere, we forget there are other ways of getting to and from places. We have a circular bus service which goes around the four main hospitals it is £1 to travel each way. Its always empty yet the car parks are bursting at the seams and queues to get in!