New parking method necessary?

[Lilly]

I think the new method of paying your parking when visiting Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford is extremely strange.:confused:
You will pay it when you arrive and then top it up if you end up staying longer than you thought.
They obviously have their reasons for trying something different seeing as the queue to get out was getting ridiculous.
Imagine for example you are visiting a family member or friend who are extremely ill…who will think about topping up their parking? Its like asking money for parking at a funeral. I just don’t think it is appropriate.. :(

BB
Lilly

[Emily-o]

We go to Frimley Park and the hospital parking is very very expensive. The residents must be really fed up of those who park all around their roads but can you really blame visitors???
By the sounds of it it may as well be a normal car park - go in, get a ticket, pay at the end of your stay, and then go out. It is another money grabbing scheme for the hospital... probably to feed a fat bonus at the end of the year!

[Josie]

I agree Emily-o having a pay on departure system makes more sense then paying upon arrival and then topping it up at the end! Its a lot of bother when you think they could have just incorporated a pay upon departure system! It much less hassle don't don't you think?

I don't like the thought os having to pay to park at hospitals! We never used to have to its ridiculous! Esp if its an emergency! You just want to get in there not fanny around with ticket machines etc.... Silly isn't it?

[Emily-o]

It is a bit silly you are right.

Do you know why this system is in place? Are they trying to pinch a bit extra off of visitors?
Or do the board have a bit too much time in their jobs? And they have nothing else to review :p:p?

[Lilly]

As far as I can understand, they are really impressed with their plan so there must be a method to the madness. Apparently because of the all the cars who are backed up to exit and pay. So they will now skip this whole drama and people can just leave. But it doesn't make sense to replace a congestion at the exit problem with another problem...

[Josie]

I bet all people will have to pay extra anyway so the congestion will still exist hehe!

[PennyBlack]

I don't know why the powers that be have continued to have staff parking in the front of the hospital.Although many years ago now - but all staff had to park at the back of the hospital and the ENTIRE parking area at the front of the hospital was for visitors. Why on earth they can't just sort it out and do that again I don't know.As for paying to park at a hospital I think its disgusting.

[Josie]

It is horrible Penny! You would think it would be free wouldnt you?

But nothing seems to come for free these days does it?

As for staff parking out the back - yes they definately should go back to that! But Im guessing they would rather go ahead with thier time consuming, money wasting ideas than be remotely practical!

[Lilly]

I have embarrassed myself more than once due to hospital parking fees…
For some reason I never have money on me when I go there.
The other time when I visited my mother I thought the ticket would cost a certain amount (which I had on me). But then it was so nice visiting with my mum I lost track of time and had a tiny problem. For some reason my mother didn’t have a penny on her either and the grown-up I am had to borrow £1 from one of the nurses.

Now at least I go prepared but I would prefer not to worry about parking when I’m visiting someone in the hospital.

[Josie]

Haha at least the nurse wasn't a stingy cow and didnt tell you where to go!

I went in for an operation once and my friend that was with me didnt get any offers of money she just got told where the nearest cash machine was! Yes thats right there was a cash machine in the hospital! Apparently its all the norm these days to put one there so no one has to feel obliged to pul out the cash! CrAzy hey???

[PennyBlack]

I was up at the Royal Surrey the other day with my son and noticed that there are only 272 parking bays on one side and about 45 on the other for the ENTIRE GENERAL PUBLIC.

How on earth is that enough - it isn't, when you start adding up all the people coming in for outpatient appointments, visiting etc.

The overall hospital site is huge and there's always some new building being built somewhere, but never has there been any improvement to the parking problem.

We were there 35 minutes before my son's appointment - plenty of time we thought, but as we continued to circle round trying to find a space - in the end he had to drop me off then drove over to the housing estate by Tescos and finally found a place to park there and walked back to the hospital. This resulted in him being 40 minutes late for his appointment.

This is ridiculous and its about time something were done about the severe shortage of parking.

[Josie]

I just don't understand why it is so bad! I mean surely there has to be some sort of plan for this kind of stuff? Its silly! Or at least tell you there is minimal parking and to get there by public transport or whatever!

When I lived in London they actually advised you not to bother driving in for appointments etc as there was very minimal parking!

[PennyBlack]

I had an appointment at Brighton hospital back in the summer and was told there's NO PARKING - how the heck can you have a hospital with no parking ??? This country is totally nuts.

[Lilly]

What?! I can't believe it. I don't think parking should be consumers' problems. Retailers are quick to take your money but they need to provide enough parking spaces. The same with hospitals. If they insist on making us pay for parking - then atleast have enough parking available.

[Josie]

OMG I went to westfield shopping centre in London the other day and the first two hours if free in there and then you have to pay!

We were there for 2.5-3 hours and had to pay £8!!!! Basically the two free hours - you have to pay for them too if you go over the free time! How s**t is that?

I was so angry! Plus with these pklaces surely it would make sense that the longer you are there the more money you have spant anyway you know? I mean c'mon how does that make sense?