Ok, so I'm now on the HT/RT pathway ...

I guess if you have a new hospital in the middle of nowhere they can easier allocate sufficient parking spaces for both the staff and the number of patients they might reasonably expect worst case. However, many of our hospitals were built years ago and the number of buildings has grown up around them, limiting the room for expansion, especially for car parking.

That's why many have sold / leased their car parks off to 3rd party companies because the NHS is there to provide medical care to people, not car parking spaces.

So I fully understand and support the use of car park management in the hope it stops those who don't care if they make life even more difficult for ill people and who park in the hospital while they go shopping, simply because it's easier or cheaper.

I suffer the same frustration with people abusing 'Parent and child', disabled or even EV charging spaces everywhere.

As you are going to be there for about 20 days out of 28 days ask what is available for you.  We have free car parking at all hospitals in Wales and some of the hospitals have had small multi storey's built adjacent to them for more parking.  My borther-in-law who lived in Portsmouth got free parking when he was there for his chemo so it is always good to ask at the hospital if there are ways to pay for or get free long term parking when receiving treatment.  The Portsmouth Hospital also did a long term pass for anyone visiting someone who was going to be in the hospital for a long time it was about half the price it would have been if we paid daily to visit when my sister was in hospital.

Exactly that's why a couple of hospitals we frequent have used half their car parks to build multi storey car parks - still difficult to get parking places - especially if your appointment coincides with visiting times.  Neither of these hospitals are close to shopping areas btw - though who knows people may catch buses into town from them!  At our local hospital it was the other way round and the shops had to stop people who were visiting the hospital parking in their car parks.  That Hospital was built in 1978

Sometimes the reasons are lost in time and could be that a it was done for some reason that no one knows or remembers and it makes absolutely no difference to the outcome.  It is confusing though when some hospitals do something  one way and some do it another or even two consultants in the same hospital do things differently.  they were either trained to do it two different ways or for some reason they found that for them and/or their patients it was slightly easier or quicker to do it another way.  They are also going to train any students they teach to do it their way as well so the differences will continue. 

I had two cataracts done within a month of each other, same hospital, same surgeon but different nursing team and the experience was different both times with things done in a different manner other than the operation itself but both eyes recovered in the same way and both operations had the desired effect.. 

That shrug usually means that's just the way we do things here.

Yes that is right.  Abstain from strenuous exercise and sexual intercourse for 48 before a PSA test too.  Having said that I once forgot about the exercise and did a bike ride the morning of my PSA test and it made little difference.  I think it has to be really strenuous exercise.  Something that at my now advanced age I am trying to wean myself off.  I am from the "no pain no gain" class of exercisers which is old hat now.  The difference in the PSA is likely to be minimal according to my consultant as I rang him to tell him about the bike ride that morning.  I think if you had done a marathon or a triathlon the day before it may make a difference but the ordinary exercise that most of us do is unlikely to make a huge difference.  It certainly didn't to mine as it was pretty much the same at my next PSA 3 months later and I had fully rested before that one.

freefaller said:

Sometimes the reasons are lost in time and could be that a it was done for some reason that no one knows or remembers and it makes absolutely no difference to the outcome.

And that's fine FF, as long as it is the case (no difference in the outcome).

It's where there is a difference and they haven't looked into it or have an answer to my 'why'?

And by 'they' I don't necessarily include the people on the ground just going though the motions (although I'd like to think they would), it's those above them.

I can't think of a single instance in my professional career or personal life where I have ever done anything 'just because'.

freefaller said:

Yes that is right.  Abstain from strenuous exercise and sexual intercourse for 48 before a PSA test too. 

Ironically, I think I had partaken of both the morning of my blood test, although I'm not sure either could be classed as 'strenuous' these days. In fact, I think we had to get a wriggle on (and me pushing her in the wheelchair so we could make good progress, often overtaking most pedestrians) to not be late, so that might be considered 'strenuous exercise'. ;-)

But then I had the blood test to try to pin down a mild / intermittent ache in my head, so wasn't aware of any precautions pre a PSA check.

Lucky you.  Many of us have no option.

I am lucky indeed and hence why I might have put more weight on ED than some.

Like, three of my good friends were effectively celibate for the last 15 years, even though they were all married. ;-(

One died at xmas, another lost his wife but has since found a new and active partner and the other has recently been diagnosed with advanced cancer and so any thoughts of divorce from his loveless marriage and starting a new one have gone out of the window. ;-(