Letter: No change for hospital parking
Friday 12th February 2010, 7:24AM GMT.
Letter: On February 1, I had an appointment at the Princess Royal Hospital at Telford for 9.40am in the dermatology department.
The morning started with ice and snow everywhere. I arrived 20 minutes before my appointment, but found I had no change for parking. I went to the parking attendants’ kiosk to be told they don’t have money there. I was advised to purchase something from the hospital cafe.
I chose a newspaper. I was told I would have to purchase something else before she would change my £10. I replied: “Sorry, I don’t want anything else, I need change for parking.”
A small, elderly, male assistant shouted: “We are not changing your £10. I am sick to death of people coming in here for change. I have had words with the parking lot to get it sorted.”
I put back the newspaper and went to the enquiry desk, I was sent to another desk along the corridor. After waiting again, eventually I got change for my ticket. I was by this time 20 minutes late for my appointment. Fortunately for me, the clinic was late beginning and I was able to have treatment.
Surely if there is an ongoing issue over change, it should be sorted out with the management.
Margaret Hammond
Madeley
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Stop whining and take some change next time – as you would do for some other car parks.
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I can understand why the shop would not give change for the car park as 1:they would not have enough small change for customers 2:why should they and also people know they have to pay, so always keep some change in your car or handbag.
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Typical of that place. I had to take my mother for an appointment at the beginning of January and there wasnt a car parking space to be had, not even a disabled place. They were parked on double yellows and on the grass verge. Yet they expect you to pay for the privilage of parking on the grass and not in designated spaces! They could at least put a change machine in the lobby area so that you can pay for your parking without doing a tour of the place first.
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The letter writer should get real. Everyone knows that we have to pay for parking at the PRH so the simple solution is to ensure you take change with you! It’s not rocket science!
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I agree that you should carry change but the attitude of the shop stinks and should not be rude.
This is typical of the current world we live in.
It everyone was a little more helpful then we would all get on better.
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Why should you have to pay at all?
Tax payers money was used to build it and it belongs to the tax payer so why have you let this develope.
It is the same at shopping centres, why should you pay to go to their shops?
In Spain and Portugal you don’t pay to use car parks.
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so a question for KarenK & Christine Mary, just what planet do you live on??
This lady goes into a shop to buy a newspaper and is refused as the shop keeper does not want to give out change. This is disgusting, that “little old man” should be removed from his position. If I had had been spoken to like that then he would have had a visit form is manager immediately. Volunteer or not he is there to do a job, and guess what, if I give you £10 I EXPECT my change, it is my business what I use it for.
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So where is all this parking revenue going as it definitely not on the tarmac if you look at the car park. Why can the hospital print a limited parking permit for the patient which would cover the appointment? – Oh yeah silly me that would be a loss of revenue.
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Well God help anyone who doesnt have the right change rushing to A&E! Mind you by the time you got the change you would be next in line to see a nurse…
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As with most hospital parking the revenues made do not go to the hospital but line the pockets of he directors of the car park companies.
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Next time you are at the PRH look at the list of the exemptions from charges; if people are on some of these benefits how can they afford to run a car?
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McCoy [#8] raises an interesting point. When my father was rushed to the PRH, I took my mother to the hospital in my car – we arrived shortly after the ambulance. I had to mess around with the parking ticket machine, inputting my vehicle registration etc. Meanwhile, my father died.
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Firstly yes, idieally we should have change, however if you are like me and never carry change of any sort and use a card sometimes it is easy to forget.
The main problem is the car park, i had a broken ankle and they expected me to park in Wellington and walk – hello – i can’t walk i was in utter pain. I made a complaint to the car park attendent advised i could not wait for a car park and needed medical attention as asap, thank fully they agreeded and on a one off let me park on the grass verge (not very close to A&E) the place is a joke, good letter and this needed highlighting!! The place and facilities need sorting out. Also the staff at the place are grumpy and rude!
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To the people who attacked the author of the letter. Show some fellowfeel. For once. Glad I am not a neighbour of yours.
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well i work at the prh and the staff have to pay to park thare allso go and look at the state of the staff car park pay to go to work? allso we realy do feel for the public we are all in the same boat
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To the people who complain about having to pay – wait until free parking is made available. You’ll be guaranteed never to find a space as people will park in the hospital and use the buses to get into town.
And in most hospitals the revenue goes on the upkeep of the car parks and the running of them.
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Why on earth should you be expected to pay for parking? Users of the hospital have paid for its building and pay for all the running costs and staff wages yet they want to screw the “owners” of the hospital for having the audacity to want to park there when needed.
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Isn’t there a facility to pay by mobile phone?
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I work at the PRH and i see it time after time – people struggling with change, trying to get the damn machines working. Most of the time,at least one isnt working, so you have to walk all over the car park to find a working machine – this is of course after you have spent 20 minutes trying to find a space!! It is discraceful that ANYONE has to pay. We have to pay to park in our staff car park – the revenue certainly doesnt go towards the tarmac – there are several craters on our carpark – a few that are over a foot deep!! They extended the car park – without planning permission!!! But, like everything else at the PRH, there is no forward planning, they just try to scrape every last penny that they can, after all – it is a business too!!! I have seen patients that get admitted overnight – their parking ticket ends at midnight – get parking fines for not having a valid ticket!!! Its all wrong!
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PEOPLE POWER — when I go to the PRH next time I will NOT pay for the aprking and IF they try to sue me I will again REFUSE – It is MY tax pounds that built the hospital,pays the ‘managers’ ( tongue in cheek title here ) wages etc, so lets’s bring back PEOPLE POWER what are they going to do SUE 000′s of people ???
IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT DO SOMETHUNG ABOUT IT !
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Be Prepared. I had to go to the hospital on Monday and took parking change with me – yes it’s a bark having to pay but if you know you have to take some change. Although if the shop person was rude there’s no call for that. I can appreciate why they don’t want to lose all their change for a small purchase at that time of the morning as they probably didn’t have much more change than the opening float in the till.
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N0 4 whats wrong youve only repeated what others have said cant you think of your usual verbal diahorrea?
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Ref JS Corbet,may I say a better one than you at least I did not make a rude comment about the “little old man” in the shop who was most probably just doing as he was told,if you want to make a complaint do so to his manager. If the staff of any shop wishes not to serve you for any reason that is up to the shop, non of us have any rights to be in a shop as it is an invitation not a right. Anyway the car parks are run by private firms and not the hospital, so if you want change go and ask them. So got back to your little world yourself.
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It is entirely within the vendor’s discretion what form of currency he chooses to accept as payment (EG scottish notes except the pound note are legal in England but vendors don’t have to take them if they don’t want to). That said there’s still no need to be rude when refusing. Bear in mind the time of the appointment they most probably didn’t have much more change in the till than their opening float. No one likes paying to park but if you know you have to make sure you are prepared with change!
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take away the parking charge and watch the spaces
fill up with shoppers and in-town workers although
it would be nice if they removed by whatever means
the illegal ones its not fair to pay £2 and then see them parking on the yellows all day might as well do it myself
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I wonder how much the shop actually makes in the ad-hoc purchases people make in order to get change…why on earth would they say no? Just stock up on extra change and rub hands at thought of additional business they would not otherwise have got – seeing the opportunity in every issue is needed in business, it worries me that those that run this outlet do not think the same way.
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Everyone keeps saying, take away the car parking fees at the hospital and watch the spaces fill up with shoppers.
Didn’t they scrap car parking fees in Wellington now? So why would they park in the PRH (for free, if charges were scrapped)?
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Firstly a comment for Jesus H Corbet, she only wanted a newspaper so that she could have change for the car park, she did not intend to buy the newspaper had she not have required the change.
I agree that you shouldn’t have to pay for parking at the hospital, but for god’s sake, if you know you are going to have to pay for parking when you get there, then take the change, it’s not hard!!
I agree that the shop attendant’s attitude was harsh but to be fair, he has a point.
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My advice is: never pay to park on NHS property to use a facility which you and the rest of the population have paid for and/or, are already paying for. Will the faceless ones who authorise this type of absurdity stand up and be identified please.
Every day I wonder if it is April 1st.
My advice to everyone is…. park on what you have already contributed to, provided it does not affect others. Don’t pay, then see how long the money lasts to pay the car park police. There is always safety in numbers.
Its a scam!
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Can I just say to all of you that are moaning about paying – just look at the charges at PRH compared to other hospitals. I think you will find it is one of the cheapest – so it could be worse!! And then you’d really have something to moan about!
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