Random political stuff - old news, or not news

[briantrumpet]

Not breaking news, not non-political banter, not stuff that has its own thread.

Anyway, here's one that always winds me up, proper lefties saying that hospital car parking should be free for staff (and patients).

No, make public transport better, encourage cycling and walking where feasible, and save the parking spaces for those for whom there is no other practicable option (shifts outside of public transport hours, disabled people, etc.). Scotland is sometimes cited ("Oh it's free in Scotland!"), at which point Scottish people point out the bleedin' obvious that the car parks are always rammed with no 'churn', because people who could have come by other means just use the benefit of free parking, in effect subsidised as a benefit by the hospital. In another life, that was my experience when I worked at Exeter College: free staff car parks, rammed from 8am till 5pm. When they introduced charging, there was almost outright revolt, but in no time they'd just got used to it and made alternative arrangements.

 

[AndyRM]

What's a "proper leftie"?

 

[First Aspect]

What's a "proper leftie"?

Anyone left of Stevo.

 

[First Aspect]

Not breaking news, not non-political banter, not stuff that has its own thread.

Anyway, here's one that always winds me up, proper lefties saying that hospital car parking should be free for staff (and patients).

View attachment 15413

No, make public transport better, encourage cycling and walking where feasible, and save the parking spaces for those for whom there is no other practicable option (shifts outside of public transport hours, disabled people, etc.). Scotland is sometimes cited ("Oh it's free in Scotland!"), at which point Scottish people point out the bleedin' obvious that the car parks are always rammed with no 'churn', because people who could have come by other means just use the benefit of free parking, in effect subsidised as a benefit by the hospital. In another life, that was my experience when I worked at Exeter College: free staff car parks, rammed from 8am till 5pm. When they introduced charging, there was almost outright revolt, but in no time they'd just got used to it and made alternative arrangements.

I have now come around to this way of thinking, for staff. If there's any employer that is perfectly set up for active travel or public transport, it's the NHS.

What are your thoughts on patients though? I had to do 3 or 4 months of twice weekly physio, which took a whole morning. Due to the injury, driving was the only real option and even getting from the car park to the ward was bad enough.

This was in Scotland, and I was grateful to not be shelling out £5 each time for parking, as at the time I was still a trainee and money was tighter.

There are people who had it far worse than me. I always felt this was a cruel surcharge.

 

[Pross]

Anyone left of Stevo.

So anyone who considers society outside of themselves and immediate family being important?

 

[First Aspect]

So anyone who considers society outside of themselves and immediate family being important?

Leftiebollocks.

 

[briantrumpet]

What are your thoughts on patients though? I had to do 3 or 4 months of twice weekly physio, which took a whole morning. Due to the injury, driving was the only real option and even getting from the car park to the ward was bad enough.

This was in Scotland, and I was grateful to not be shelling out £5 each time for parking, as at the time I was still a trainee and money was tighter.

There are people who had it far worse than me. I always felt this was a cruel surcharge.

Good question. I think that kind of thing would be on my list of deserving cases. Free, or nominal amount? Not sure.

 

[Pross]

Good question. I think that kind of thing would be on my list of deserving cases. Free, or nominal amount? Not sure.

We were going weekly for about 18 months and often being there a full day before taking home a 5 year old child that would be exhausted from chemo at the end of the day (this was before Welsh Government cancelled parking charges). Sometimes, she'd have to stay in which meant we would also be staying potentially for a few days. It would have cost a fortune (and others had it far worse) but fortunately the local kids cancer charity got us either free or discounted parking. Technically, we could have caught two buses but it would have been challenging especially returning with a very tired and sick feeling child. I think free parking for patients should be standard but I'm not sure staff should be free, it's just a cost of getting to work the same as for many other people. Those covering shifts outside public transport times should probably be able to park free in allocated spaces. The real challenge is visitors, as soon as you provide free parking there's no incentive for them to take other options but adding additional cost at a time when they are often dealing with a very sick reltive can create additional stress.

With various local hospitals the problems free parking being reintroduced has caused includes people using the hospital car park as a free option when using the town centre, using it as an unofficial park and ride (ironically, the good public transport links between the city centre and hospital to encourage people not to drive makes this an attractive option for commuters) and using the large, hospital car park as a meeting point for lift sharing. Trying to park when dropping my dad off for assessment when he was collapsing having recently started home dialysis was horrendous and not helped by the lack of wheelchairs to transfer him from the distant overspill car park (this was at a virtually brand new hospital).

 

[Pblakeney]

We were going weekly for about 18 months and often being there a full day before taking home a 5 year old child that would be exhausted from chemo at the end of the day (this was before Welsh Government cancelled parking charges). Sometimes, she'd have to stay in which meant we would also be staying potentially for a few days. It would have cost a fortune (and others had it far worse) but fortunately the local kids cancer charity got us either free or discounted parking. Technically, we could have caught two buses but it would have been challenging especially returning with a very tired and sick feeling child. I think free parking for patients should be standard but I'm not sure staff should be free, it's just a cost of getting to work the same as for many other people. Those covering shifts outside public transport times should probably be able to park free in allocated spaces. The real challenge is visitors, as soon as you provide free parking there's no incentive for them to take other options but adding additional cost at a time when they are often dealing with a very sick reltive can create additional stress.

With various local hospitals the problems free parking being reintroduced has caused includes people using the hospital car park as a free option when using the town centre, using it as an unofficial park and ride (ironically, the good public transport links between the city centre and hospital to encourage people not to drive makes this an attractive option for commuters) and using the large, hospital car park as a meeting point for lift sharing. Trying to park when dropping my dad off for assessment when he was collapsing having recently started home dialysis was horrendous and not helped by the lack of wheelchairs to transfer him from the distant overspill car park (this was at a virtually brand new hospital).

Here's an idea. Paid parking for everyone charged hourly on the way out.
Patients get their ticket validated at reception and free. Too logical?

 

[First Aspect]

Here's an idea. Paid parking for everyone charged hourly on the way out.
Patients get their ticket validated at reception and free. Too logical?

Hospitals are very open. What's stopping someone just ambling in and getting a ticket stamped?

 

[Pross]

Here's an idea. Paid parking for everyone charged hourly on the way out.
Patients get their ticket validated at reception and free. Too logical?

That's effectively what we had to do but I think the difference was covered by the charity. Yes, it seems obvious but there's presumably a reason it isn't done.

 

[Pblakeney]

Hospitals are very open. What's stopping someone just ambling in and getting a ticket stamped?

You go to reception to "check in" and get your ticket validated. No appointment, no validation.
I'm sure something could be developed for A&E.

 

[First Aspect]

You go to reception to "check in" and get your ticket validated. No appointment, no validation.
I'm sure something could be developed for A&E.

I'm less sure. Having been in one and passed out from pain because they forgot I was there, I can imagine them being too chaotic for a reliable system.

 

[Pblakeney]

That's effectively what we had to do but I think the difference was covered by the charity. Yes, it seems obvious but there's presumably a reason it isn't done.

My guess? Stupidity/laziness/incompetence.
As it would generate money and be more than self funding I cannot see any reason for not implementing it.

 

[Pblakeney]

I'm less sure. Having been in one and passed out from pain because they forgot I was there, I can imagine them being too chaotic for a reliable system.

I imagine that you were conscious when released. I could be wrong.
I've been in 5 hospitals in the past 6 months, personally, for my wife, and for my Dad. Reception in all was very calm.