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NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers (Read 252,544 times)
SilentCallsVictim
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #165 - Jan 11th, 2011 at 12:43pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jan 11th, 2011 at 10:12am:
This is a novel way to get around the problem perhaps.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1345982/Now-insurance-companies-offer-...

"Cash plan" insurance will also help cover the cost of expensive telephone calls incurred due to illness.

There are many conditions that require frequent hospital visits; I see no good reason to single out one part of the transport costs incurred by some patients with just one condition.
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #166 - Jan 11th, 2011 at 1:55pm
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 11th, 2011 at 12:43pm:
There are many conditions that require frequent hospital visits; I see no good reason to single out one part of the transport costs incurred by some patients with just one condition.



SCV being negative as usual. At least this a start and a step in the right direction .(the insurance idea, not SCV being negative!!)

It is ok for Londoners who can hop on  bus or a tube to get to their hospital or doctor relativity easy, us folk who live in the sticks, who have to drive to a hospital would find the hospital parking the most expensive bit, even with fuel rising in price. Indeed, in my county you have to drive into the next county to visit a hospital, so even if we can park on NHS land for 'free' with the help of this new insurance it would be a great help.
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« Last Edit: Jan 11th, 2011 at 1:56pm by sherbert »  
 
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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #167 - Jan 11th, 2011 at 4:06pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jan 11th, 2011 at 1:55pm:
SCV being negative as usual. ...

I hope that it is not seen as "negative" to refer to the fact that those who wish to purchase "cash plan" health insurance thereby obtain help in meeting all of the expenses incurred as a result of illness. This is nothing new in itself - the insurance companies are however always finding new ways of justifying and marketing their products - pretending to be addressing an injustice is a commonly used technique.

I did not intend to be "negative" by minimising the particular degree of distress felt by those who suffer from cancer, nor the additional transport costs incurred by those who live in rural areas. I only sought to point out that neither was unique.

Every hospital trust should do whatever it can to avoid patients incurring incidental costs in accessing NHS services. Actually levying charges itself for necessary means of access must be prohibited, as is so under the terms of the NHS Constitution. I believe that every NHS body should allow access by telephone without itself imposing a "Service Charge". I do not believe that they should necessarily subsidise caller's costs by offering a "freephone" number, although this use of taxpayer's money could be considered, alongside other priorities. I would apply the same principles to access by transport.

If patients are only generally able to access a hospital by private car, parking in the hospital car park, then it is very difficult (perhaps impossible) to justify parking charges in such a case. This does not mean, as many propose, that every NHS hospital car park should be used to provide free public parking, effectively at the expense of the NHS.

I suspect that Sherbert and I agree that with the car parking issue each case has to be considered separately, as local circumstances vary significantly. Contrary to what the Department of Health has suggested - this is not true with NGCS telephone call charges, where the same rates apply across the UK (the minor differences in Hull are not significant).
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Stoday
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #168 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:43am
 
I must be lucky. My local hospital uses a geographic number.

Carparking is normally £2.60 for two hours. I have to spend 5 hours in hospital, three times a week for haemodialysis, so I get a reduced rate parking ticket: £2.50 for the three days.

Better than that (shhh!) they'll arrange taxi transport for me for free.
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Dave
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #169 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 11:16am
 
Stoday wrote on Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:43am:
Better than that (shhh!) they'll arrange taxi transport for me for free.

Free to you maybe, but at the expense of the taxpayer.
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derrick
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #170 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 12:18pm
 
Not sure how long they have been doing this as they used to charge a lot more, but Royal Preston Hospital have a 24 hour charging period for £1.50;-
"Patients and visitors pay a fixed car parking charge of £1.50. per 24 hour period (*equivalent to 6p. per hour unless they are classified as exempt from charges. The first 15 minutes form entering the car parks is free of charge. "

Also a discounted ticket;-
"For out-patients who attend frequently as part of their treatment, or in-patients who have visitors attending regularly, and are not exempt from car parking charges, a 7 day discounted ticket may be purchased at a cost of £7.00 (equivalent to 4p. per hour) as opposed to the normal £1.50 per day (equivalent to 6p. per hour)."

They also have an exemption policy (and an 01 telephone number);-
"Exemption letters may be obtained from the respective Ward Managers and will be required when exiting the car parks."



Royal Preston Hospital
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« Last Edit: Jan 12th, 2011 at 12:21pm by derrick »  
 
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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #171 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:27pm
 
Dave wrote on Jan 12th, 2011 at 11:16am:
Free to you maybe, but at the expense of the taxpayer.

If this is necessary to obtain access to NHS treatment, then quite rightly so.


derrick wrote on Jan 12th, 2011 at 12:18pm:
Royal Preston Hospital ( / Chorley & South Ribble Hospital - Car Parking)

If this sophisticated car park charging system works in practice and is generally seen as fair, then I totally oppose those who are calling for it to be prohibited - and describe my position as "negative".

Use of "Business Rate" telephone numbers in connection with delivery of NHS services must however be prohibited in every case.
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #172 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:38pm
 
SilentCallsVictim wrote on Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:27pm:
I totally oppose those who are calling for it to be prohibited - and describe my position as "negative".



I don't think anyone would object to pay what Royal Preston Hospital are charging.


The charges to park at East Surrey Hospital  (Redhill) http://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/travel/parking.asp  are below. Whist they probably seem quite reasonable for a one off visit, to make regular visits as an out patient or as a visitor I think is very expensive.

Length of stay            Charge
Up to 15 minutes      No charge: if visitors are unable to find a parking space, exit within this time.
0 - 2 hours                      £2
2-3 hours                       £3
3-4 hours                       £4
4-5 hours                       £5
5-6 hours                       £6
6-7 hours                       £7
7-8 hours                       £8
8-9 hours                       £9
10-24 hours                  £12

Over 24 hours £25 per day
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« Last Edit: Jan 12th, 2011 at 4:47pm by sherbert »  
 
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SilentCallsVictim
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #173 - Jan 12th, 2011 at 3:23pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jan 12th, 2011 at 1:38pm:
I don't think anyone would object to pay what Royal Preston Hospital are charging.

Perhaps we can then agree that calling for a universal ban on hospital car parking charges is missing the point that some hospitals clearly get it wrong, whereas others do not. The same does not apply to Business Rate telephone numbers - all of which must be banned for patient contact with the NHS.
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« Last Edit: Jan 12th, 2011 at 4:11pm by SilentCallsVictim »  
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #174 - Jun 5th, 2011 at 9:20am
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8556490/Hospitals-attacked-over-out...



By Alastair Jamieson

9:00PM BST 04 Jun 2011


Across the NHS in England, total profits from parking rose by 14 per cent last year, to around £32 million.

The increase came as two trusts - West Hertfordshire, and Luton and Dunstable - introduced minimum parking charges of £4.

The charges were condemned as "outrageous" and a "tax on the sick" by the Patients Association, which called on the Coalition to make hospital parking free in England, as it is in Scotland and Wales.


On average, two hours' hospital parking costs £2.29 – 60 per cent higher than the average for council car parks used by shoppers. Half of all trusts levy a minimum charge, with no free parking except for key groups such as cancer patients.
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Some of the trusts making the most profit from parking have been condemned for poor patient care. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS trust, one of four making an annual profit of more than £1 million, last week apologised for leaving patients so dehydrated that doctors were forced to prescribe water.

The other three trusts making more than £1 million were Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Southampton University Hospitals and South London Healthcare.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said: "Many older people and their families rely on their car to attend hospital.

"Hospitals must not make car parking charges an unreasonable barrier to getting treatment or unfairly penalise people for visiting relatives who often help to provide care."

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "These new figures reveal the startlingly high costs some patients are facing. Hospitals should not have to rely on charging patients and visitors to park to make ends meet.

"It is outrageous that some hospitals are charging sick people so much money to access services they need.

"Car parking charges make a mockery of a service supposed to be free at the point of need, and we urge the Department of Health to scrap these charges as they have been in Scotland and Wales."

The figures are based on a Freedom of Information request to England's 175 acute hospital trusts. Three-quarters replied, and nationwide totals were extrapolated from their responses.

The findings revealed big differences between hospitals. While four trusts recorded £1 million-plus profits from parking last year, the majority said they broke even and six made a loss.

The total paid by patients and visitors to park at hospitals has risen by one-third in three years, from £111 million in 2007/08 to around £149 million in 2010/11.

Seven trusts made more than £2 million in revenue last year, including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust which collected £2.8 million from patients and visitors.

Those making the biggest profit were mostly foundation trusts, which operate like businesses and which will become the template for all hospitals under the Government's planned NHS reforms.

The figures also show 109,000 fines were issued in hospital car parks last year, earning trusts a further £874,300. London's Imperial College NHS Trust alone issued fines totalling £110,000.

Some 1,300 drivers were clamped – 651 of them at one trust, St George's in Tooting, south London. It said most of the affected cars were owned by staff.

Kevin O'Regan, services director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which has several car parks, said: "All surplus income we receive from car parks is always reinvested in NHS services here in Sheffield.

"We have not increased car parking charges for two years at any of our five hospitals and in addition we provide a free shuttle bus between the hospital sites, free drop off zones for accident and emergency patients and mums in labour as well as free parking for cancer and renal dialysis patients."

The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust said its charges – the highest in England at £6 for two hours – reflected "the need to deter shoppers and other casual users and the high cost of providing car parking in London".

Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it had increased charges "with reluctance", adding: "The next few years are going to be very challenging for all publicly funded organisations."

A spokesman for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We have to make difficult decisions regarding how what we spend our constrained resources. It is our duty to ensure that we focus these resources on patients."

The Department of Health said: "NHS organisations have the autonomy to make decisions locally and should work with their local communities to set appropriate policies."

All the trusts making a profit said money was reinvested in treating patients.

Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the Trafford General Hospital in Manchester, last year became the first of its kind in England
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« Last Edit: Jun 5th, 2011 at 9:23am by sherbert »  
 
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Stoday
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #175 - Jun 5th, 2011 at 5:32pm
 
It's not unreasonable to charge for carparking in hospital grounds if the availability of carparking space is limited and insufficient to meet demand. It's the best way to give patients the incentive to travel by public transport. If those who enjoy the most convenient access to public transport use it, space is left for those for whom access is difficult. Pricing is a good way of achieving this, providing the price is higher than the cost of a bus journey from the nearest population centre.

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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #176 - Jun 5th, 2011 at 6:27pm
 
We have had this argument before. (see my posts #146 & #166) It is near an impossibility in my neck of the woods to use public transport  to get to a our hospital and if you do you need to set out the day before. Wales and Scotland do not charge for hospital car parking.
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #177 - Jun 5th, 2011 at 7:53pm
 
Same story as Sherbert (and it is not as if I live in the middle of beyond). There was plenty of free on road parking around our hospital, but all of a sudden yellow lines appeared as well as parking bays for 1 hour only (too short for a hospital appointment). As there are no shops, just residential roads this looks awfully suspicious as an attempt to force you to use the hospital car park.
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Barbara
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #178 - Jun 6th, 2011 at 2:25pm
 
Agree with Keith, I'm sure "they" are in collusion to make people use the hospital car park so they make money.  In Cambridge, before we moved, many people used to park at the Park & Ride car park and, with the knowledge and advice of staff who knew the bus service was unreliable, walked the 10-15 minutes to Addenbrookes -  so what was the council proposing?  Make a charge for parking in additiona to the bus fare to prevent people from doing this.   Again a hospital with a massive catchment area covering a mostly rural population (other than Cambridge itself) with buses a rare & endangered species.

It has been successive governments who have decided to centralise patient care and health services in large, often inaccessible hospitals, and now encourage said hospitals to profiteer from patients needing to access the services. To my mind, this is a "charge" for accessing health care (and this is not a plea for petrol or bus fares to be paid, that's been thrown back in the past at those of us who oppose hospital parking charges), it's an expression of outrage that those needing medical care are being charged excessively to access it if they need to travel by car.   It is also a fact that many hospital appointments run late, often very late, meaning that unless it's a "pay on exit" car park, and very few if any are, people end up putting perhaps more than necessary into the machine to cover themselves, also patients are sometimes sent to other areas, such as for a blood test, after the appointment so this can cost a fortune.

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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #179 - Jun 6th, 2011 at 2:40pm
 
Barbara wrote on Jun 6th, 2011 at 2:25pm:
(and this is not a plea for petrol or bus fares to be paid, that's been thrown back in the past at those of us who oppose hospital parking charges),



Indeed, the person who made this ridiculous statement in the past and seems to find it acceptable to charge for car parking at hospitals, I believe lives in London where there is a pubic transport system that most of us would 'die' for, if you will excuse the pun.

A case of 'I am all right Jack' springs to mind

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