My local hospital, Mount Vernon, have recently increased the car parking charges yet again :

http://www.thh.nhs.uk/Travel/MV-parking.htm

So, the first 30 minutes are free. Im really not sure who thats aimed at, certainly not at anyone who has an appointment. If its for the benefit of anyone taking someone to an appointment with the aim of just dropping them off its irrelevant, because surely they can just drop them off outside the appropriate department and not park anyway ?

The next level is £3.40 to park between 30 minutes and 2 hours. I have had a number of appointments with consultants in the past where the consultant has been held up elsewhere, and Ive been seen well after 2 hours beyond my appointment time. Am I supposed to anticipate that, and pay the higher rate for parking, or risk a hefty fine for not displaying the correct ticket ?

The higher rate is now an eye watering £5.00 for between 2-12 hours. At a Hospital.....for outpatients.

Parking charges, and the potential penalties for failing to comply, are an absolute nightmare. Its why I have long since given up trying to shop locally. At least I have a choice regarding shopping. I have no choice at all when it comes to attending hospital appointments. It seems I am a captive audience, and as long as I am trying to survive on a pathetic ESA allowance for the duration of my illness, my Local Health Authority are happy to fleece me.

Moley

Would your illness qualify you to request assistance with transport? Picked up by day ambulance for example?

Failing that they have us all by the short and curly's. They use stealth policies like this to try and drive people onto public transport.

DLA mobility component has basic and higher amounts. 08456 123456
www.direct.gov.uk
click search and type in
Disability Living Allowance (mobility)
and also
'Personal Individual Payment'

This is being reviewed into a personal individual payment so the amount and application process may soon change

www.parliament.uk (Lords debate)
www.bbc.co.uk/parliament

There is no need to drive to the hospital, you should use public transport. If you are unable to do this then special transport can be provided for you.

Since the beginning of December I have had to visit two different hospitals 250 km apart a total of around 10 times with a lot more to come. Boxing day visit they kept me in for 3 days, lucky my Daughter drove or my Parking ` Fee' would have required my taking out a new mortgage.
Public transport ? Special Transport ? Please join planet earth ; these ` fees ' are just another way to tax the private motorist !

I can sort of understand Hillingdon Hospital having a charge because I know of many people who used to park there free and then get a bus into Uxbridge.

Mount Vernon though surely doesn't suffer from this ?

It's a tax on the sick. I think anyone with an appointment or visiting sick relatives should be able to park for free via a car park exit ticket issued by each ward or department.

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Lets be careful out there !

Thanks for the replies.

Geezer/James : No I dont qualify for assistance with transport, nor DLA it would seem. Its taken me 10 weeks just to finally get ESA. The whole system is a debilitating nightmare to navigate. Ive long since given up trying to get a Blue Badge as well, though one Council Official did say he would try and assist with an application, I haven't seen or heard from him in weeks.

Golf : Exactly the sort of reply I would expect from you, and if Im honest this particular journey is do-able by bus. However since I pay a little short of £1000 a year to tax, insure, Mot and service my car, why should I be further financially forced into leaving it parked outside my front door, while I stand outside in all weathers waiting for the vagaries and discomfort of public transport ?

I believe Mount Vernon and Hillingdon Hospitals do operate a scheme which offer slight reductions for patients with certain conditions, and some visitors, but the whole idea of 'taxing' the sick via hospital car parking charges just does not sit well with me. Which magazine have been running a long standing campaign about this very subject. I understand hospital car parking is free in Scotland, if it can be done there, why not here ?

I have just had an operation and have to visit West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth quite often. We have no option but to go by car because I cannot walk at the moment so we're paying extortionate parking fees.

My husband said that when he went to pay our fee for parking there yesterday afternoon a woman was paying for her ticket and because she had been there most of the day waiting around she had to pay £12.50

It's almost a licence to print money.

It would be a lot easier if TFL provided services that went to where you want instead of having to change buses. We have repeatedly requested a bus that links Barnhill with the hospital, but tfl don't want to know.

May I a silly Question But arn't the Hospital car parks run my a private firm ,and the hospital get a fixed anual fee form them ?

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we're out