Is It Time for England to Make It Free to Park in NHS Hospital Car Parks?

Research by Good Morning Britain reveals more than 35,000 parking tickets were successfully overturned on appeal in hospital car parks in England last year.
Is it time for England to follow Wales and Scotland and make it free to park in NHS hospital car parks?
Broadcast on 11/04/24
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#GMB #hospitals #parking #freeparking #debate #nhs

[@chrisgrindley4990]

I'd be ok with paying for parking at hospitals if the money went to the NHS but the car parks are owned by Parking Eye, which is a private company and it's disgusting.

[@oyoyism]

Thing that sickens me is staff having to pay. If i ever had to pay to go to park at my workplace i would resign instantly.

[@user-dg6bl2ry2y]

This idea that the car park couldn't be maintained in one of the richest countries in the world is ridiculous

[@VoidofBerserk]

One of the "richest" countries in the world is soon going to be bankrupt.

[@pierzing.glint1sh76]

England is a ridiculous country and I love it so so much

[@natalieoliver3215]

Of course hospital parking should be free. We pay enough into the system 😔. No compassion whatsoever

[@ebenezer9884]

It should be free. The black doctor won the argument. The other guy kept interrupting and doesn't make any sense.

[@foxernator]

I had an MRI a few years ago, Car Park is owned by OCS Group Limited, nothing to do with the NHS - Private Company. Because you don't know how much you have to stay for, I paid flipping £15 literally just profiting off people having to go to Hospital. This country is an absolute joke ngl. Also charging the staff who get paid pennies to the pound...

[@hawkhoskins4250]

The hospital staff go quiet when you tell them about the machines because they know it’s a scam and NHS bosses know exactly what the scam is.

[@amalia4519]

Beautiful smiles from both guests 😊😊

[@DenzX_NJ]

I'd be happy to pay if it actually went towards the NHS and they didn't gouge money out of staff

[@eljay5746]

What an obnoxious individual that lawyer is.

[@bikeman123]

My daughters minor op was delayed 3 days running. No only was she waiting 8 hours each day and then sent home, I had to pay £30 parking (6 x£5) to drop her off and collect her over the 3 days.

[@jellymulder]

it's a lie about free parking for blue badge holders, the disabled spots are extremely limited, it's rare to get a space

[@CarolDigney]

Should be free for nurses, why should they have to pay to go to work!!

[@paulatavares5220]

By your logic should be free for everyone that goes to work !

[@bikeman123]

90% of my local hospital is staff parking. Maybe the NHS should be doing more to encourage their own staff to leave their cars at home? Staff park and ride from the local train and bus stations?

[@goatsummoner]

Get public transport? That is not appropriate for everyone. So what the guys Dad got the bus to get to his cancer treatment (not a great idea) 1 hour both ways. It's greed causing this. A private company is making easy money and they don't want it to stop.

[@audy8797]

The tickets is always upheld. Especially Queen Elizabeth hospital horrible. They make so much money

[@pwners4u]

Why don’t all funds of parking go to the hospital and car park maintenance, it’s because they are privately owned. Much like council regulated car parks have been sold off too and train services sold off. If you keep the payment it should be paid to the NHS but the government don’t want to employ ticket wardens or staff to deal with disputes

[@RTG1031]

No Sympathy for the A&E doctor. Should follow the rules and leave extra early if you know that finding a space is a problem. He seems to be more keen for it to be free for staff, less for patients

[@colettegibson6516]

They should definitely be free, if you need to go in for a day procedure or wait in A& E, you may be restricted from doing this as all day parking is a fortune and often you don't know how long you're going to be.....

[@eljay5746]

What is the biggest deterrent in main city centres leading to reduced footfall- excessive car parking fees or no parking signs.

[@kellyrana1]

Fees they charge are exorbitant, it’s profit.

[@jackkruese4258]

Unfortunately there’s got to be a charge because if it was free some people would just use it for free parking regardless of whether they were using the hospital or not.

[@TishA-ld5wd]

Ok, you made a point, even tho I didn't get it.

[@josephinemijango8230]

You could still have a ticket and have it stamped in the hospital to prove you used the hospital

[@TishA-ld5wd]

@@josephinemijango8230 Another good point, but they would make money off that too lol

[@RTG1031]

Everyone wants free things and want others to pay for it as well

[@kellyrana1]

Clinics are late, worried about appointment, then worried if ticket will run out before you get seen.

[@CalumLyons-do1xi]

Yes it should be free if you visit a sick or dying loved one tome with them is important and most cases the last chance

[@dietlemonadeplease2138]

Why not switch to a PAYG system? Like a lot of car parks operate under? No one ever complains about them....

[@dietlemonadeplease2138]

*for those saying 'well it is PAYG', I refer to the system of paying per hour, not a fixed fee for 'x' hours

[@jacksoncrate]

i dont have a phone no wifi in hospitals

[@paulatavares5220]

Car park can't be free for all because people will take advantage and will leave the cars there for ages and even go on holiday! Staff should have discount prices but not free for the same reasons . Hospitals should have some free bays like in my country where people can drop off or pick up only to help those in emergency situations.

[@bikeman123]

Other short term car parks manage to prevent abuse with cameras, it can be done.

[@deshawn53988]

The shark first says the car parks need to be maintained and then says take public transportat is greener. God what a numb nut

[@awwwkwaarder5287]

Doctor Vs HellSpawn.

[@pierzing.glint1sh76]

I'm NHS staff, a GP I actually don't think it should be free because then people would abuse it. We have such a parking crisis in this country and people would start parking up to go to some other place when we need that space for patients. It should definately be cheaper though.

[@marjorieorveau6707]

I don't live in the UK but at my local hospital you need to punch in a code for the barrier to rise, you only get that code once your appointment is over. The code changes every day. It seems to work well.

[@tiasidhu1464]

A gp that can’t spell definitely 😂ok

[@pierzing.glint1sh76]

@tiasidhu1464 not sure if you actually don't believe I'm a GP or you're just loving the fact that someone made a spelling error and it's been very life affirming for you.

[@the_hermits_cave]

Clearly he is in a privileged position to be able to afford to pay excessive parking charges!

[@NSG27]

Parking was free in Hospitals for decades, it should remain so. Private companies making money out of people who don't want to be there in the first place or work there! Disgraceful!!!!

[@j-h-123]

Yes, I think it should be. People already pay taxes. Not to mention, they are often visiting the hospital to deal with someone or their own medical care. Visiting the hospital can be really stressful and/or urgent, imagine having to deal with the unnecessary stress of parking tickets on top of that. Also, the collected parking fees, to my knowledge, go towards private companies rather than to improve the healthcare system and I find this disgusting and greedy. On another note, that man who suggested for people to use public transportation instead of driving to the hospital does not realize that sometimes people need to rush to the hospital! They're not going to on a stroll, c'mon. Also, medical situations are fluid and can take unexpected turns. During those times, I guarantee people are not thinking about their parking tickets. Not to mention people may already be struggling financially. Why put extra financial strain on low-income seniors, single parents, low income families. Surely there can be a more compassionate and reasonable way. If Wales and Scotland can do this free of charge, why not the rest of us?

[@amanda.s9948]

Paul is a very apathetic person. This did him no favours.

[@jellymulder]

a lot of the car parks have been privatised for profit which targets the most ill and vulnerable

[@SimonSmith-yd6tt]

or Hospitals forced to sell to private parking companies to fill holes in the NHS budget?

[@jellymulder]

@@SimonSmith-yd6tt that's not how things work, if that was the case a hospital would make more money by conning parkers directly

[@SimonSmith-yd6tt]

reply being deleted twice now

[@Neil-qf6df]

If the money goes towards NHS funding then i don't have a problem with it.

[@awwwkwaarder5287]

Spoilers: IT DOESN'T. Profit for a company

[@Dean256]

That bloke in the suit is just living in cloud cuckoo land. He is obviously a London resident taking about public transport. Unless you live in London a big city public transport in this country is a joke

[@user-tk7kz1fl2r]

Lol. Nigerian background Doctor speaks clearer English than all of them!

[@SimonSmith-yd6tt]

ITV please close the comments section if you are going to continue to delete comments, Debate in a reasonable fashion is healthy but to delete a persons comment when another person asks a question and is given a reasonable response is unconscionable

[@endlessglizzys_.0233]

Excuses excuses 😴 they can make it free

[@hawkhoskins4250]

The hospitals break the ticket machines on purpose so you can’t pay and they can fine you. I went to Northampton General 3 times this year about a BCG on my face. Every time the ticket machine was out of order. On my final visit I held a few buttons on the machine. Eventually a £1 fell out and the machine started working again. So I walked round after my surgery and fixed them all by holding buttons. This means the hospital has sabotaged all of them as I fixed them and made £1 everytime. £12 I made and saved 100’s of people in Northampton from fines. ITS A SCAM!!!!! Try holding buttons on the machines. It will work.

[@martynstevenson474]

You can tell Paul is a smelly Tory

[@grahamevans2937]

All car parking in hospital should be scrapped

[@Neil-qf6df]

How would you suggest people get to hospital then?

[@grahamevans2937]

I don’t pay the car parking ticket it cost more for them to take you to court

[@paulatavares5220]

Do you really think they care ? Where do you think the money is coming from ??? Taxpayers ! Did you see what they did about the Ulez cameras that people were destroying ? They bought more . When they broke those, they bought vans ...... they don't care it's our money they are spending!

[@betatester2560]

ok so so die from a stab wound on a bus or train/tube ? that guy is daft