HOSPITAL chiefs at Warrington will make “sensible and reasonable changes” to the parking policy at the Lovely Lane hospital in the light of the uproar among patients and other users over “fines” issued to motorists.
But the financial facts of life mean little of substance can or will change, says Steve McGuirk, (pictured) chairman of Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
In his “chairman’s blog” on the trust website, he says that while the hospital cannot ignore the feedback from key stakeholders and patients, it cannot halt or suspend the parking system to do an “urgent review” because this would inappropriately raise expectations that a significant change is likely, or possible.
Instead the trust is in a state of “regular review”, meeting continually with the car park operators and asking the trust’s governors’ council to look at the situation.
According to Halton Citizen’s Advice Bureau, 4,229 users of the car parks at Warrington and Halton hospitals have been issued with “fines” which are not legally enforceable.
They claim the trust is not complying with the British Parking Association’s approved operator scheme because of inadequate signage at the hospital entrances and that all the “fines” should be cancelled and the money repaid.
Mr McGuirk admits in his blog that the trust anticipated “something of a backlash” when they changed the approach to car parking.
They have had negative feedback from users, councillors and MPs – and from hospital governors.
But with nearly 100,000 vehicle movements in seven days, the number of complaints about parking represent a tiny percentage of that figure, he said.
However, there are issues to address and, probably, things that can be done to ease the situation, such as better signage and explanations, greater clarity about fines, etc.
Mr McGuirk said the number plate recognition system had been introduced to help manage parking at the hospital in a better way.
They had been able to introduce new parking machines, chip and pin payments, pay by phone and the ability to pay on entry or exit from the hospitals without displaying a ticket.
“In fact, for the vast majority of people coming to the hospital, there has been no change to the system that’s been in place for around 10 years, other than they now have to enter a registration number when paying.
“Contrary to some comments, the prices haven’t been increased with the new system, and there remains a maximum charge of £5 for 24 hours.”
He understood that people found it frustrating to have to pay for something they believed should be free.
“In many ways we wish that we didn’t have to charge for parking – but there are financial realities and every hospital is in the same positon.”
Warrington Hospital
Hospital will make “sensible and reasonable” parking changes
44 Comments
4 Comments
How about cutting some of the wasteful and unnecessary middle management in NHS trusts? There’s obviously a complete lack of understanding of running a business in many cases and this parking fiasco is yet another example of mis-management by individuals who couldn’t hold down a job in the private sector.
By choosing the cheap and easy option of ANPR cameras (and now known to be illegally set up) the hospital an PPC show callous greed.
I challenge the company to prove they are not financially dependent upon the fines the work generates.
Also, Hospital management needs to declare how much the car park generates in tariff charges in cash and as a proportion of “take”. AND how much of a kick-back they receive from fines paid.
They should publish their response, pronto!
Absolutely right, well said
Steve McGuirk, chairman of Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust understands that people found it frustrating to have to pay for something they believed should be free. “In many ways we wish that we didn’t have to charge for parking – but there are financial realities and every hospital is in the same position.” Nonsense he is just trying to defend an indefensible position.
He is a businessman bent on making profits off the sick and vulnerable. There is sufficient parking if they managed the space properly; encouraged staff car sharing, free buses and the clinics need to be streamlined to reduce patient waiting times. He needs to remember that patients are his business not raising funds. And NO the NHS is NOT free – the majority of the people in the UK pay towards it so why charge them again – certainly more pay than don’t so don’t dare say otherwise.
He says with nearly 100,000 vehicle movements in seven days, the number of complaints about parking represent a tiny percentage of that figure. Firstly, like that despicable firm he employs to victimise the sick and vulnerable for profit, the figure of 100,000 can not be ratified. So the percentage cannot be just written off as tiny. From my perspective the Facebook page has more people, to complain about parking charges, than the Trusts own site. I would say (without any supporting evidence but bet I am nearer) that over 80% of people who pay to park or have been “fined” for failing to pay are extremely unhappy about doing so.
Anyone who think its right charging the sick and vulnerable for attending a Hospital they would rather not go to in the first place and then for those charges to be disproportional against parking where they would prefer to be is clearly ignorant of the feelings of the people and in the wrong job.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scrap-Parking-Penalties-at-Warrington-Halton-Hospitals/1409082859422436?fref=nf&pnref=story