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NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers (Read 252,551 times)
Dave
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #195 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:20pm
 
Barbara wrote on Jun 29th, 2011 at 1:30pm:
I thought I had mentioned a solution, exactly what Addenbrookes used to do for its outpatient car park before it charged…

The most sensible way forward would seem to be that current schemes are looked at on a central basis rather than each hospital trust doing it locally.

Different locations might warrant different solutions.

I am all in favour of replacing car park charges with some other solution where possible.

One other thing to bear in mind is that where hospitals are on bus routes, their car parks might become a haven to an unofficial park and ride service.

What about the deficit caused by the loss of revenue from parking charges?


sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 1:07pm:
SCV....Why does it work in Scotland?

As an advocate and campaigner on a particular issue, it is surely up to the campaigner himself or herself to justify to others why such a change should be made. The campaigner cannot decide what is a suitable level of justification.

If others are not convinced, then it is not up to them to justify to the campaigner why this is the case. Only the campaigner must give justification and not the other way around. The fact that you resort to asking others to justify their position suggests serious weakness in your campaign.

Such tactics may be sufficient to win over audiences of daytime chat shows and the readerships of certain newspapers. Of course, when it goes wrong because of lack of consideration for the issues involved, they will simply blame those who enacted it (hospital trusts).


Barbara wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 1:22pm:
SCV, surely it's where there isn't any free, off-street parking that the issue arises?   If there is free, nearby on-street parking, I would always use that rather than pay to park in the hospital …

I believe that the opposite is the case. Hospital car parks are covered by CCTV and are therefore more secure whereas side roads are often not. Even where roads are covered, I feel that cars will be more likely targets on them than in hospital car parks.
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #196 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:49pm
 
Dave wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:20pm:
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 1:07pm:
SCV....Why does it work in Scotland?

As an advocate and campaigner on a particular issue, it is surely up to the campaigner himself or herself to justify to others why such a change should be made. The campaigner cannot decide what is a suitable level of justification.

If others are not convinced, then it is not up to them to justify to the campaigner why this is the case. Only the campaigner must give justification and not the other way around. The fact that you resort to asking others to justify their position suggests serious weakness in your campaign.

Such tactics may be sufficient to win over audiences of daytime chat shows and the readerships of certain newspapers. Of course, when it goes wrong because of lack of consideration for the issues involved, they will simply blame those who enacted it (hospital trusts).





As I have mentioned before doctors surgeries have free car parks, are you suggesting that the sick should pay for those as well? I have never seen these car parks abused.
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Dave
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #197 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 4:03pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:49pm:
Dave wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:20pm:
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 1:07pm:
SCV....Why does it work in Scotland?

As an advocate and campaigner on a particular issue, it is surely up to the campaigner himself or herself to justify to others why such a change should be made. The campaigner cannot decide what is a suitable level of justification.

If others are not convinced, then it is not up to them to justify to the campaigner why this is the case. Only the campaigner must give justification and not the other way around. The fact that you resort to asking others to justify their position suggests serious weakness in your campaign.

Such tactics may be sufficient to win over audiences of daytime chat shows and the readerships of certain newspapers. Of course, when it goes wrong because of lack of consideration for the issues involved, they will simply blame those who enacted it (hospital trusts).





As I have mentioned before doctors surgeries have free car parks, are you suggesting that the sick should pay for those as well? I have never seen these car parks abused.

...and even in the face of my above comments, you continue to ask questions of those you are apparently attempting to convince.  Roll Eyes
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #198 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 4:31pm
 
Not at all. I have made my comments, reasons and parallels (as has others on this thread). Since the hospital parking charges have come in several years ago, have we seen an improvement in the NHS? I think the answer is no unless the proliferation of highly paid hospital executives and managers is counted as an improvement. Are you seriously suggesting that the removal of car parking charges would reduce the level of care in hospitals? I think not.

As for your other paragraphs, I will not be making any comments except to say that I always thought that this was an open forum for folk to discuss and air the ideas as they wish and not to told by the Global Moderator how to construct their posts.
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Dave
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #199 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 5:08pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 4:31pm:
Not at all. I have made my comments, reasons and parallels (as has others on this thread). Since the hospital parking charges have come in several years ago, have we seen an improvement in the NHS? I think the answer is no unless the proliferation of highly paid hospital executives and managers is counted as an improvement. Are you seriously suggesting that the removal of car parking charges would reduce the level of care in hospitals? I think not.

The removal of parking charges would result in those revenues being removed from hospitals' budgets.


sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 4:31pm:
As for your other paragraphs, I will not be making any comments except to say that I always thought that this was an open forum for folk to discuss and air the ideas as they wish and not to told by the Global Moderator how to construct their posts.

The comments I have made are in response to other postings and I would have made them irrespective of whether I was a moderator or not. I do not see that my moderator status should mean that I must restrict what I may post.
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #200 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 5:17pm
 
Dave wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 5:08pm:
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 4:31pm:
As for your other paragraphs, I will not be making any comments except to say that I always thought that this was an open forum for folk to discuss and air the ideas as they wish and not to told by the Global Moderator how to construct their posts.

The comments I have made are in response to other postings and I would have made them irrespective of whether I was a moderator or not. I do not see that my moderator status should mean that I must restrict what I may post.




....and I do not see, why I must restrict what I may post.
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #201 - Jul 9th, 2011 at 12:55pm
 
Apparently the first three and a half hours in one of the car parks at the Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral are free.

There is also a free park and ride bus service available

Well done to Wirral NHS Trust Smiley


http://www.whnt.nhs.uk/practical_information/arrowe_park/parking.html
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #202 - Jul 9th, 2011 at 2:44pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 3:49pm:
As I have mentioned before doctors surgeries have free car parks, are you suggesting that the sick should pay for those as well? I have never seen these car parks abused.
Living in inner London in the 80s, my local GP did not even have a patient car park. The choices were to either walk there, get a cab or a lift, park in the street (difficult), or park in the council pay facility at the end of the road. I would suspect that there is no longer any street parking available due to resident permits, and therefore there will be an associated cost in taking one's vehicle to the area. I suggest that urban surgeries have similar parking limitations and costs. Are you advocating reimbursement of parking fees for those within such areas who have to pay? Ditto for pharmacy visits.
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As from November 21, 2013, I no longer participate in the forum and am unable to receive private messages.
 
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sherbert
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #203 - Jul 9th, 2011 at 2:58pm
 
Living in the big cities there is plenty of public transport to get to the hospitals and for very little money, indeed the old folk do not have to pay for bus fares in this country at all. As I have already mentioned, I have yet to see a doctor charging for his car park, mine certainly doesn't, anymore than Tescos, Sainsburys et al.
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #204 - Jul 9th, 2011 at 3:02pm
 
sherbert wrote on Jul 9th, 2011 at 12:55pm:
Apparently the first three and a half hours in one of the car parks at the Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral are free.

There is also a free park and ride bus service available

Well done to Wirral NHS Trust

Hear hear! - we agree totally.  Smiley

This is a rather complex, carefully constructed scheme, which I am ready to assume to be well configured to address the true level of need. It is unquestionably put together with detailed consideration of local circumstances and is not a simple waiver of all charges.

If the scheme does work well for local people, then it must be commended.


Reviewing the thread, I note a question to me which I had not spotted. I am happy to respond, although I regret that my reply cannot be as complete as may have been hoped.

sherbert wrote on Jun 30th, 2011 at 1:07pm:
SCV....Why does it work in Scotland?

I cannot say whether it does or does not "work" in Scotland. If it does, this could be because there may be few large hospitals in densely occupied areas where parking is at a premium. I have been treated at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and recall that it is some distance from the City Centre, unlike many major hospitals in English cities. That is however the extent of my knowledge of the situation North of the Border, so I do not feel qualified to comment further.

If there are genuine lessons to be learned from directly comparable cases then they should be brought forward. I would be happy to consider comments from those who have the time to research this issue, as I am focussed on other matters.

(N.B. I am not saying that the problems that would be caused by removing all charges are restricted to city centre hospitals. Such cases are however easily recognised.)

In response to the question, with reference to the topic of this thread, it is regrettable that the Scottish Government has not gone as far as those of England and Wales in taking steps (albeit inadequate) to address the problem of expensive telephone numbers to contact NHS providers. The proportionate incidence is less, but that should make the problem easier to address, not less worthy of attention.
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #205 - Aug 22nd, 2011 at 6:36pm
 
I have sought to draw attention to 20 "significant" cases of continuing breaches of the DH Directions with a media release today.

If anyone is aware of other "significant" cases that I have missed, please let me know.
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #206 - Nov 8th, 2011 at 11:41am
 
The disgrace continues....

I posted about the disgraceful use of 0845 numbers by doctors about 18 months ago.  Still today, in my clinic surgery there is a a big notice saying "for your convenience we have set up a Lo-Call number..."

I understood that there was a "no profit" rule for doctors/NHS using 0845 numbers.   But my local clinic is a partnership therefore it is a business. 

Surely if a business reduces expenses (by making the client pay for the call and contribute to the running costs, kerching!) the nett result impacts on the profitability of the business.

But I can't complain openly because I now see reports that doctors are striking off patients with no warning.  I really need my doctor's services so I am  blackmailed into keeping shtum.  Last months it cost me £1.42 plus VAT to call the surgery 4 times because these calls are not included in the package I took from Virgin. 

- Doesn't help to spread my pension around does it?
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #207 - Jan 12th, 2012 at 12:23am
 
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals contact page now gives alternatives for all its 0844 numbers.

For some reason, it has decided to give the call rates charged by one particular provider, despite the fact that these apply to few people:

Quote:
(0844 - 5p per minute daytime and evenings).
(01924 - 7.6p per minute daytime and 1p per minute evenings from a standard BT line).
(Rates are effective as at September 2011).

This is the sort of thing I'd expect from marketing material of BT's competitors so as to make its charges appear better than they actually are.

BT's most popular package is the Anytime one which means that geographic and 03 calls are zero fee. Yet the Trust claims that "a standard BT line" charges 7.6 pence per minute (as at September 2011).
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #208 - Jan 12th, 2012 at 9:00pm
 
Dave wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 12:23am:
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals contact page now gives alternatives for all its 0844 numbers.

For some reason, it has decided to give the call rates charged by one particular provider, despite the fact that these apply to few people:

Quote:
(0844 - 5p per minute daytime and evenings).
(01924 - 7.6p per minute daytime and 1p per minute evenings from a standard BT line).
(Rates are effective as at September 2011).

This is the sort of thing I'd expect from marketing material of BT's competitors so as to make its charges appear better than they actually are.

BT's most popular package is the Anytime one which means that geographic and 03 calls are zero fee. Yet the Trust claims that "a standard BT line" charges 7.6 pence per minute (as at September 2011).


Dave something else I noted on that page is the NHS Choose and Book Number (0845 60 88888), having checked on Choose and Book the number has been amended to 0345 60 88888.

Thumbs up to the NHS Choose and Book line for changing it.. Thumbs down to Mid Yorkshire Hospitals for not updating it!

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Regards,

CJT-80

Any comments made are my own and are not those of SayNoTo0870.com
 
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Re: NHS hospitals on 0844 rip-off numbers
Reply #209 - Mar 16th, 2012 at 12:09pm
 
'Tax on the sick': One in four hospitals increase parking fees - some by up to 200 per cent


By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 08:15, 16 March 2012 | UPDATED: 08:17, 16 March 2012


More than one in four hospital trusts have increased car parking charges, an NHS survey has found.

Some hospitals in England have raised charges by up to 200 per cent, with patients and their families and friends paying up to £3.50 an hour.

Hospital parking – which is free for most people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – earns the NHS more than £100million a year.
Under fire: The NHS has been criticised over its car park charges

Under fire: The NHS has been criticised over its car park charges

Campaigners condemned the ‘scandalous’ rises as a ‘tax on the sick’ and urged hospitals to follow government guidelines offering concessions to patients with long term illnesses, including cancer.

The figures show 28 per cent of trusts surveyed increased their average hourly parking charge for patients and visitors from last year and only 17 per cent reduced it.

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust charged patients 200 per cent more this year, increasing prices from 25p an hour on average to 75p an hour.

Separate analysis found some trusts charge much more than the national average (77p) for an hour’s hospital parking, based on the average from a three-hour stay.
Defence: MP Simon Burns pointed out that the charges are used for patient care

Defence: MP Simon Burns pointed out that the charges are used for patient care

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust charges £2.50 an hour on average, with an hour’s stay costing £3.50.

Data analysts SSentif looked at figures given to the NHS Information Centre by 197 hospital and mental health trusts.

Duleep Allirajah, head of policy at  Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘This is scandalous news that some hospital trusts are raising revenue by increasing hospital parking charges. Charging patients for using hospital car parks is a tax on illness. We want every hospital in England to comply with the Government’s guidance to provide free or concessionary parking for patients travelling regularly to hospital for treatment.’

Health Minister Simon Burns said: ‘No one should be paying extortionate amounts to park in an NHS car park.

‘But introducing free hospital car parking could cost the NHS more than £100million – money that would otherwise be spent on patient care.’


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-2115769/Tax-sick-One-hospitals-inc...
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