Going to hosptal as a vistor?

Question

Hi folks,
Iv'e just heard about someone being charged with a £40 penalty in a hospital car-park
What is going on ?
The NHS, I was lead to beleive, is a state thing, paid for by my & yours 9% income tax. Another one !
When visiting my Dad, I shoved the two quid in the machine, but was informed later that it went 10 minutes over the printed time, so therefore liable to a £20 penalty
Daft!
I did not pay it. And received no further threats from the car-park people engaged by the local Health Trust.
A few moons ago, my freind dropped me off at A&E, after a motorbike accident.
I got fine treatment, and thanks to the pro. folks there, all is well, but he had a ticket within minutes for £10, for saving the health service the cost of an ambulance vehicle & crew.
Where is the sense in that episode ?

I fail to understand.
Any suggestions?

Bob.

Answer 1

I do sympathise with you. If you need to visit a hospital in the UK these days, it's usually necessary to allow around ½-hour just to find a parking space; this only adds to the stress already being experienced just by the need to visit the hospital. Then woe betide you if you don't have the correct coinage for the ticket machine. There's an interesting item on the BBC website below. Here are a couple of extracts: Hospital Car Parks Make Millions : Patients can be charged up to £30 a day for parking. Hospitals in England are each charging their patients up to £1.5m a year for car parking, the BBC has learned. And a quote from one authority: 'The hospital car parks are not run as a commercial operation and all money raised goes directly back into services for patients and visitors.' Mmmm.......well, I do hope so!?

Answer 2

Hi Bob
It might seem unfair. but your friend did not get a ticket "for saving the health service the cost of an ambulance vehicle & crew." He got a ticket for illegal parking. Just imagine the bedlam if everyone tried the same excuse!

(By the way, post your questions on the net where you want. Although some web sites have different sections for different countries, some people don't seem to realize the net is an international community that exists beyond the borders of the USA.)

Answer 3

Taxes do not cover everything the NHS has to pay for. It is not an infinate amount of money, and hospitals have to make money where they can. Also the reason most hospitals have introduced parking charges is to stop people using the free car parks all day, and getting on a bus into town, for work or shopping.

And by the way, staff have to pay parking charges too, and we don't get away with not paying the fines.

Answer 4

They charge to raise more money, because it is all so badly managed from the top (government) that the health trusts are constantly short of funding. The charges have risen dramatically where I live, from £2 per day to £5 per day, which is way over the top. It's simply another tax, just like the speed cameras and all the council run car parks which charge a fortune.

Answer 5

Everyone seems to be trying to find ways to part us from our hard earned money these days. Stockport council are killing town centre shopping with parking charges. I always park outside the area and walk in.

Answer 6

Is it me or are you in another country other than the U.S.?
Sorry I am not of any help, I read your question so I replied for the points but I mean it, really is foreign to me...

Answer 7

Britain has been coming up with creative ways to tax people forever. (see American Revolution)

Answer 8

Blame it on Tony Blair and George Bush. They have to be at the bottom of this travesty of justice.

Answer 9

This is what you get for voting Tony B-Liar into power.

Answer 10

re-post your question in the United Kingdom section, at bottom of this page.