Car Parking- Your Experience

1 minute read time.

FormerMember

6 Jun 2011

I’m Jess and I am the Campaigns Intern at Macmillan. I joined the team about a month ago and I have been learning all about the different campaigns that Macmillan have; in particular Welfare Reform, Fuel Poverty and Hospital Car Parking.

One of my projects since I started has been to gather information on car parking charges at every hospital in England- about 300 hospitals which is taking a good amount of time! In my research I have found some great examples of where hospitals have listened to their patients and removed car parking charges for cancer patients and their carers. Unfortunately, I have also heard some tough situations where patients are facing high charges with no concessions.

Have you had a good or bad experience with hospital car parking? If so then get in touch, as all the information will help us to campaign more effectively to help eliminate car parking charges for patients affected by cancer.

If you don’t park at the hospital, how do you get there? Do you take public transport? Again we would love to hear your thoughts on the issue.

FormerMember over 12 years ago

Hi Jess

I attend Walsgrave hospital in Coventry, it has cost my partner a fortune so far and i was only, I think its over £2per hour and often my appointments are over 3 hours.I was diagnosed in May. We have been told that we may be able to get free parking if & when i have to get chemo, advice isnt freely given by the hosptial. We found out through a family member who has been through cancer at the same hospital.

Jules
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KateG over 12 years ago

I attend the cancer specialist hospital The Royal Marsden, Sutton branch. They charge £2 an hour but there is a concession season ticket if you expect to be there for long periods. They can not use the excuse that commuters might use car parking spaces because the hospital is in the middle of nowhere!

Another nearby general hospital St. Helier, Carshalton, Surrey also charges a fortune for parking. When my mother-in-law was dying we were told we could have free parking for one car. To have this privilage, the ward sister had to write a note to the effect that our relative was not expected to survive a week. It meant her other two sons still had to pay full parking fees. She died with five days but what would have happened had she survived past our week of free parking I do not know!

KateG
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FormerMember over 12 years ago

I attend the Royal Preston hospital,whilst having my chemo the car parking was free.Now i attend every 3 months for check ups and i think the parking is £1.50p for 5 hours .

Sue
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FormerMember over 12 years ago

I go for check ups to Northern General Hosp. Sheffield, £2-40 for 4 hours. If I go to the Weston Park hospital it dont matter how much the charge is, you cant find a space anywhere, and Weston Park is a specialist cancer hospital. Across the road is a big public park, cant some of that be used by cancer patients ?? Permits could be issued.

Bill
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FormerMember over 12 years ago

Hiya, I have been going to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Selly Oak, Birmingham for my treatment and at the start of my chemo got a yellow carpark pass. Meant to be for radiotherapy patients but gets given to all chemo pts too I believe. I think I did have to ask for it though, but I am sure they would have given one to me eventually! Loads of carparking space at the old hospital, apparently the pass doesn't work at the new hospital carpark though, nor Selly Oak Hospital down the road...

Vicky
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