Some may say, that our headline is a bit OTT. But charging people to see their loved ones whilst they are in hospital is an absolute disgrace. What does it say about this Country, when its deemed to be acceptable to relieve people of their hard-earned money when they are visiting their loved ones during what is already an incredibly stressful & emotional time?
Last year, my Nan was admitted to Hospital just before Christmas, and she ended up passing away towards the end of January. My family must have paid a small fortune in car parking charges. Like thousands of families around the Country, we had to pay to see our beloved Nan as she spent her last few weeks fighting for her life.
And to think, that WE have actually already paid for the hospitals via our taxes which we are forced to pay. WE have already paid for the car parks at hospitals and now we are getting charged to park in the car parks which WE have paid for!!!
Not only that, but there are private companies (the ‘Management’ companies) who are profiteering from these hidden & highly immoral taxes. It’s a National disgrace, and makes me feel ashamed to be British.
Hospital Management, will tell you that SOME of the funds (why the f**k only ‘some’!?) raised from this tax on visiting sick relatives, goes back into the hospital. Really? Well, my local hospitals have been charging grieving relatives to visit their sick family members for ages now, and the hospitals in question are still in a state of disrepair.
The only people who seem to benefit from charging relatives to see their loved ones, are the private companies who are tasked with “managing” the car parks. I am not quite sure what ‘management’ is needed, as, for example, the car park of my local hospital is fully automated and there is never anyone in sight!!
How can we live in a country, where the ‘powers that be’ think that it is ok to charge people to see their sick relatives? Some muppets will tell you, that you “don’t have to drive to the hospital”. These muppets live in a parallel, yet obscure, universe, because, believe it or not, public transport is not that reliable and does not cover ALL possible routes to and from Hospitals.
And do the muppets who come up with this out-of-touch-response REALLY think that you want to sit on public transport, amongst complete strangers, as you prepare to see your relatives for, potentially, the last time?
When I was visiting my Nan in Hospital before she passed away, the LAST thing I would want to do, is to sit on a bus full of oiks shouting and gobbing off at their fellow passengers.
And on the day that she did pass away, why the f**k would anybody with a sane & reasonable mind, think that I would want to be on public transport as I mourned the loss of my beloved Nan?
It’s just a smokescreen and an attempt to brainwash you into ‘accepting’ being charged to see your sick family and friends. Hospital (Senior) Management want you to pay to visit your sick relatives, because they know that there is no viable alternative option for you. And they should hang their heads in shame.
Just think of all the people, who cannot afford the extortionate car parking rates charged by Hospitals. Just think of all the people, who are not able to spend as much time with their loved ones as they would have liked to have done, because they cannot afford the £4 per hour that some truly disgraceful Senior Management Teams deem it acceptable to charge.
The thing is, we put up with it, because we have no choice. I just hope that the consciences of those responsible for implementing this tax on visiting sick relatives, do not rest easy. Especially the Directors of the Management companies who actually make a profit off of the vulnerable. But I guess their Bentley’s aren’t going to pay for themselves, right?
Hospital car parking charges MUST be scrapped. Instead of charging relatives to see their sick family members, why not just scrap the millions paid to ‘management consultants’? Or, why don’t we reduce the “foreign aid” budget from its current circa £12 billion per year, and channel that money into the NHS?
Or maybe charge a flat rate, of say £1 FOR THE DAY, and sack off the private management companies who take their glutinous cut from this tax on the sick. Penalising people for wanting to spend more time with their loved ones, via the increased charges for the longer you spend at the hospital, is tantamount to being scammed. We are being ripped off, and we MUST do something about it.
The thing is, we are seen by the ‘powers’ that be as mushrooms. We are fed s**t and are kept in the dark. And just remember, by their own admittance, “some” of the parking taxes goes back into the hospital…………..”some”………………..
Written by one of the many Admins of Emergency Services Humour, who is also a regular contributor to our Digital Magazine, affectionately named ‘S__ts & Giggles’. You can subscribe to our fortnightly injections of digital satirical content, by clicking here —>
Need a petition started to then present to parliament
I agree the charges need to be sorted, the trouble is those that abuse the spaces, SWTSMBO works at QAH and has to park in a remote location and be bussed in and out, those with ‘clinician’ status use the same system, unless they are only onsite for a very limited time. Of course QAH doesn’t get the money, under the Governments PFI, (Private Finance Initiative), Carillion were awarded the contract to build and provide the FM services for a period of 30 years, so they get all the parking revenue too.