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£3 an Hour to Park? I'll Just Cancel My Hospital Appointment

6 November 2008
By Vince Wong

If you've ever had to go park at hospitals, you know how ridiculously expensive parking charges are.

What you may not realise is that patients are now cancelling their vital appointments at risk of their deteriorating health, because of this.

The BBC1's Inside Out Programme featured a pensioner who had heart surgery and was told not to take public transport for health reasons.  Instead, she chose not to attend her followup appointment due to parking costs of £45  /week.

Called a "stealth tax" by health campaigners, hospital parking rates cost up to £3/hr in some hotels in London.

What are your thoughts on hospital parking? Do you think that £3/hr is reasonable, or just plain greedy on the part of the NHS and private contractors involved?

[via Mail Online]

TOPICS:   Motoring

5 comments

  • David P.
    I used to work for someone who used to claim back all their parking and travelling fees. Not sure if this is still the case or who is eligible.
    Reply ·
  • Alexandra O.
    I think it's totally reprehensible, who else gets away with these ludicrous tariffs? Ah, that would be the urban NCPs & the rural National Trust car parks.... I'm pleased to report a healthy (no pun intended) stealth operation active in Hosp carparks I've used in the past couple of years in Cumbria, whereby unexpired tickets are surreptitiously handed over to those arriving, by the poor sod who hocked a kidney to pay for his.
    Reply ·
  • thebawp
    I was speaking to my aunt recently who lives in Kingston, apparently the car parking spaces outside her dentist cost 20p every 5 minutes! So that works out at £2.40 an hour which I thought was appalling but £3 an hour? How on earth can the justify that? In particular, pensioners should not have to pay these ridiculous prices, but nor should anyone for that matter...
    Reply ·
  • Vince W.
    I believe for life or death scenarios they will stamp a free ticket as a courtesy. I also know that if patients get delayed, which is a common occurence, you can ask the nurse to extend parking ticket for free. But for people who don't know, and end up waiting for hours, we're talking a twenty quid note just gone for a single appointment, especially with the insane waiting times in the NHS. I also know that most doctors and staff never park on site, but choose to walk there from 'around the corner'.
    Reply ·
  • David P.
    While on the subject area of parking... I used to live and work in Bristol city centre of Bristol for 3 years. I would park in a fairly good residential area for free which was about a 20 minute walk from my flat. Saved me a absolute fortune over the years!
    Reply ·

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