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hospital parking fees

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    #62
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Taxis provide front door service at all hospitals - and require minimal on-site parking.

    Perfect for pensioners and others on low incomes. As are high parking costs. hey how about linking the parking charges to our medical cards?


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    #63
    evolving_doors
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭evolving_doors


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Taxis provide front door service at all hospitals - and require minimal on-site parking.

    How much would a Taxi cost for 15 miles each way?
    We're not all city slickers like yourself.


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    #64
    iamwhoiam
    Registered Users Posts: 16,073 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Taxis provide front door service at all hospitals - and require minimal on-site parking.

    Yes and parents of a sick child could afford weeks of taxies back and forth ?


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    #65
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,372 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Poor_old_gill wrote: »
    I havent the time to read through the 4 pages so far but what I find most ridiculous is that the staff have to pay for parking in a hospital- €15 a day -sheer lunacy

    'free' staff parking means that staff who don't drive to work are subsidising the costs of parking for those who do drive.


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    #66
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,258 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    'free' staff parking means that staff who don't drive to work are subsidising the costs of parking for those who do drive.

    As they are on the same pay scale there is no more cross subsidisation between colleagues in the hospital than there is between them and the workers in the office park down the road.


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    #67
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    I keep 20 X €1 coins in my car precisely so that I don't run short of money for parking. many hospitals were built before car ownership proliferated as much as it has now. There is not much which can be done about it.


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    #68
    Chiparus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Chiparus


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    'free' staff parking means that staff who don't drive to work are subsidising the costs of parking for those who do drive.

    Problem for many in a largely female workforce is that of managing childcare/ school children, - lack of free or indeed any parking is another reason why Dublin hospitals are having such a hard time recruiting.


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    #69
    Chiparus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,254 ✭✭✭Chiparus


    elperello wrote: »
    No problem with a special parking space for emergencies.

    What I was referring to is the situation where you have a perfectly fit consultant parked up in a premium spot while the reduced mobility patient going in to his clinic is struggling up from the further reaches of an overflow car park.

    It's about time the HSE started running the health services in the interest of the patient. This should be the over riding principle in all aspects of running a hospital including car parking.

    A car is not a luxury when you are under the weather and in need of medical
    care.

    Many consultants work on many sites Eg a cardiothorasic surgeon working in Crumlin and the Mater, seems to be stupid paying someone incredibly high wages to search for a parking space.


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    #70
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    'free' staff parking means that staff who don't drive to work are subsidising the costs of parking for those who do drive.

    If all staff stopped driving to work salaries would not go up. The hours worked by nurses also mean driving is essential. may nurses employed in Jervis St hospital had to give up work when the hospital relocated to Beaumont. They couldn't get there on time on public transport


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    #71
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,258 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    Chiparus wrote: »
    Many consultants work on many sites Eg a cardiothorasic surgeon working in Crumlin and the Mater, seems to be stupid paying someone incredibly high wages to search for a parking space.

    My point was not to make them look for spaces. Let them have a dedicated car park, just not in a prime spot near the building.

    I am suggesting that the most convenient parking spots in a hospital should be for those most in need ie. patients.

    Surely that's not too much to ask?


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    #72
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    elperello wrote: »
    My point was not to make them look for spaces. Let them have a dedicated car park, just not in a prime spot near the building.

    I am suggesting that the most convenient parking spots in a hospital should be for those most in need ie. patients.

    Surely that's not too much to ask?

    It is. A consultant might be delayed going to an operation by a minute or two. That might be critical for a patient. It doesn't work the other way. A critical patient will come in by ambulance.


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    #73
    elperello
    Registered Users Posts: 14,258 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    It is. A consultant might be delayed going to an operation by a minute or two. That might be critical for a patient. It doesn't work the other way. A critical patient will come in by ambulance.

    Which is why I suggested some posts back that emergency parking spaces should be available.


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    #74
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    elperello wrote: »
    Which is why I suggested some posts back that emergency parking spaces should be available.

    Ambulances don't need emergency parking spaces. Who is to allocate your emergency parking spaces? What if every patient decides they are an emergency? Not wanting consultants to have parking spaces is begrudgery. No hospital seems to be able to cure people of that most Irish of diseases.


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    #75
    afkasurfjunkie
    Registered Users Posts: 771 ✭✭✭afkasurfjunkie


    mvl wrote: »
    - except that I don't take taxis at night to go to different town: I was in condition to drive (and yes, it was investigated by A&E). if I were to remain in hospital, I would have made arrangements to get the car brought home.

    But this thread is not about my emergency. This is about hospital parking arrangements.

    In my view, this private company have introduced a coin based system that is not suitable for stays longer than 2 hours (and A&E is an example where time of stay is uncertain).
    - It would be less hassle for all if the payment is done on exit, and notes or card are acceptable as payment.
    - And yes, it should be possible for the hospital staff to validate parking tickets for ppl that need it. Should be one of their questions, when they ask if you are on medical card.

    But it sounded that this hospital's reception staff had no connection with the parking provider at all.

    Sad that someone is making money out of this.

    There’s an app you can use to pay for parking. Same crowd for hospital car park and train station too. Only problem is they charge an extra 40 cent for the privilege. You would think they might offer some type of deal to incentivise it, like 2 euro per hour and 5 euro for 3 hours but no.


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    #76
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,372 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    elperello wrote: »
    Obviously if you can't afford a car you won't need to park yourself but you might have a friend,neighbour or relation who will help out.
    I'd imagine in most such cases, this would be a 'set down' arrangement, and the friend/neighbour/relation isn't going to be looking for parking. But either way, if the parking was free, you might still be left wondering why the State is providing free services to the wealthier parts of the population.

    elperello wrote: »
    As they are on the same pay scale there is no more cross subsidisation between colleagues in the hospital than there is between them and the workers in the office park down the road.
    There absolutely is cross-subsidisation. The cost of parking is a very real cost. It requires land, multi-storey buildings (in some cases), staffing, security, management and more. These are very real costs to the organisation, that would be available for other purposes if not allocated to the staff who use cars.

    Chiparus wrote: »
    Problem for many in a largely female workforce is that of managing childcare/ school children, - lack of free or indeed any parking is another reason why Dublin hospitals are having such a hard time recruiting.
    Are they having a hard time recruiting?


    The analysis from DPER shows the inflows to Nursing are fairly steady, and the outflows are low by comparison to other countries and other sectors.


    http://www.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/26.-Nursing-and-Midwifery-Expenditure.pdf


    And there are ways of managing childcare and school children without cars, btw.
    Chiparus wrote: »
    Many consultants work on many sites Eg a cardiothorasic surgeon working in Crumlin and the Mater, seems to be stupid paying someone incredibly high wages to search for a parking space.
    Or maybe they should just travel to/from their workplaces on their own time, like the rest of us?
    4ensic15 wrote: »
    If all staff stopped driving to work salaries would not go up. The hours worked by nurses also mean driving is essential. may nurses employed in Jervis St hospital had to give up work when the hospital relocated to Beaumont. They couldn't get there on time on public transport


    The cost of parking is a very real cost. It requires land, multi-storey buildings (in some cases), staffing, security, management and more. These are very real costs to the organisation, that would be available for other purposes if not allocated to the staff who use cars.


    Yes, public transport is an issue for some staff on some shifts, though large numbers of staff are within easy walking or cycling distance.


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    #77
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Great. So then for you your choice evidently makes 'perfect sense' to be paying the parking. So don't be giving out about paying it when you, and you alone, made your choice. This really shouldn't be complicated.

    Its a situation caused by building in landlocked constricted premium sites, because they are in some politicians back yard. Also because they sold of all the land for expansion to some developer.

    So its certainly a choice to choose the most efficient way to get somewhere. Choosing the least efficient way of doing things does seem to a trait within the HSE though.


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    #78
    G-Man
    Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭G-Man


    Crazy obsession with car parking in Ireland very nearly turned toxic over the placement of new childrens hospital and threatened to derail the whole project. NO matter what amount of car parking they provide, there will always be some looking for more, and for free or cheap. An all of this at great capital expense that has to included and detracts from the capital needed to pay for treatment rooms or high tech equipment.

    Is it any wonder that many hospitals are just outsourcing the whole fecking lot, let us take care of medical treatment. Your transport and the real estate needed for your own private living room are yours or someone elses business.

    You bought the car, you fuel it, pay tax on it and now eye up an opportunity to get free parking as well. Are you not right as rain and delighted to be treated, or comforted at the fact you could visit a relative. The begrudgery of carowners for a few euro to store their pollution machine, which as a fecking industry is probably responsible for a good number of people in hte hospital due to pollution, accidents, bad lifestyle.

    If there is staff issues with transport, well let them express that and maybe find out its - safe cycling routes, better bus connections, cheaper taxis. But somehow the car lobby manage to convince people its parking and come looking with their slobbering looking for another subsidy to deprive money from capital investment in the hospital.


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    #79
    4ensic15
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭4ensic15


    G-Man wrote: »
    Crazy obsession with car parking in Ireland very nearly turned toxic over the placement of new childrens hospital and threatened to derail the whole project. NO matter what amount of car parking they provide, there will always be some looking for more, and for free or cheap. An all of this at great capital expense that has to included and detracts from the capital needed to pay for treatment rooms or high tech equipment.

    Is it any wonder that many hospitals are just outsourcing the whole fecking lot, let us take care of medical treatment. Your transport and the real estate needed for your own private living room are yours or someone elses business.

    You bought the car, you fuel it, pay tax on it and now eye up an opportunity to get free parking as well. Are you not right as rain and delighted to be treated, or comforted at the fact you could visit a relative. The begrudgery of carowners for a few euro to store their pollution machine, which as a fecking industry is probably responsible for a good number of people in hte hospital due to pollution, accidents, bad lifestyle.

    If there is staff issues with transport, well let them express that and maybe find out its - safe cycling routes, better bus connections, cheaper taxis. But somehow the car lobby manage to convince people its parking and come looking with their slobbering looking for another subsidy to deprive money from capital investment in the hospital.

    In many cases it is a major hardship for people visiting a sick child to have to pay 5* prices for parking. Public transport is not an option with a number of young children going to visit a sibling.


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    #80
    qo2cj1dsne8y4k
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,646 ✭✭✭✭qo2cj1dsne8y4k


    Our local hospital before it introduced paid parking had absolutely no parking, it had people who parked there in the early morning and walked down town to work. It had people flood it on saturdays when there was a match in the GAA.

    When my dad was undergoing cancer treatment, the first day in oncology the nurse gave us a ticket that was pre loaded, you paid 5 euro and got 5 days out of it. The card never debited the times it was used and the 5 euro card worked his whole entire treatment, all his inpatient stays and after his death. His card wasn’t the only pre paid card that did that either, so they do have ways around it for people receiving long term care.

    I’d agree with free parking but in reality people are assholes and it would be abused


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    #81
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,372 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    4ensic15 wrote: »
    Public transport is not an option with a number of young children going to visit a sibling.

    Why? Have they banned kids from public transport now?


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    #82
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    G-Man wrote: »
    Crazy obsession with car parking in Ireland very nearly turned toxic over the placement of new childrens hospital and threatened to derail the whole project. NO matter what amount of car parking they provide, .....

    They were correct to be obsessed. They picked terrible location with huge issues and replaced it with an even worse location with worse problems.

    Basically the decision is let's just ignore all the problems and go ahead regardless. We'll just live with all the problems it creates.

    The Irish solution to every problem is spend vast amounts of money badly.


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    #83
    Nonoperational
    Registered Users Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭Nonoperational


    elperello wrote: »
    At every hospital you will see a section of the car park usually near the building populated with Audis, BMW, Mercs etc. That is the consultants car park and they don't pay.

    Incorrect.


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    #84
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    Why? Have they banned kids from public transport now?

    I imagine buggy and bunch of kids on a train to an early outpatients appointment for a few hours is something you do a lot....


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    #85
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Nonoperational wrote: »
    Incorrect.

    Its telsa now...


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    #86
    Auguste Comte
    Registered Users Posts: 1,143 ✭✭✭Auguste Comte


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    Why? Have they banned kids from public transport now?

    Public transport is very often not appropriate for sick kids on their way to hospital.


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    #87
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,372 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    beauf wrote: »
    I imagine buggy and bunch of kids on a train to an early outpatients appointment for a few hours is something you do a lot....

    I've done it in my time, and I see people doing it every day.


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    #88
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,372 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Auguste Comte wrote: »
    Public transport is very often not appropriate for sick kids on their way to hospital.

    The post I responded to was about siblings, not sick kids. But families in London seem to manage with all those hospitals with no parking.


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    #89
    Ginger83
    Registered Users Posts: 3,415 ✭✭✭Ginger83


    Turtyturd wrote: »
    You could lower the fee to a nominal charge and you would still get people who would rather block up the surrounding streets than pay it. Live beside Beaumont and from first thing in the morning there are cars belonging to both staff and patients parked blocking driveways, on corners and pretty much anywhere on the street.

    Council should introduce paid on street parking although it would probably just push the problem down the road.

    I used to go to Beaumount quite a bit, its around 60 miles. I tried public transport which involved a 7.5 mile drive to bus stop, bus to busaras, then 30 odd stops on the 27b to Beaumount. It takes 3hrs 15mins.

    I drive up the M3. Its about €25 return for diesel and 4 tolls and takes 1hr 10mins.

    I don't agree with blocking driveways but I park a 15 min walk away beside a green area/pitch and walk in. Its costs me enough so i won't pay for parking as well.


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    #90
    iamwhoiam
    Registered Users Posts: 16,073 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    AndrewJRenko wrote: »
    The post I responded to was about siblings, not sick kids. But families in London seem to manage with all those hospitals with no parking.

    The transport system in London is a million times better than ours .


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    #91
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭cython


    Without commenting on some of the stuff in the thread so far, only earlier this year I found myself at the mercy of the fairly vampiric hospital parking system. My partner crashed her bike while cycling, and had to be brought by ambulance to Vincent's (spinal board, etc.). We live in Dublin 15, so unless I wanted to take hours to get there on a Saturday afternoon while she lay in A&E (and indeed the same thing, or a 50+ quid taxi fare home later in the night), I had to drive (and I count myself lucky for having had the option, for what it's worth!). As it turned out she had extensive facial fractures, broke her jaw in three places, and 3 vertebrae fractures (this is relevant later).

    The first day I was there until about 11pm, and it cost me about 20 quid. Luckily day 2 when I drove down was a Sunday, and Nutley Lane in front of the hospital is free parking Sundays (Tesco across the road have been known to clamp, for what it's worth). The rest of the week I was fortunate in that I work in D2, and I was able to use a space in the office for a much cheaper rate than the hospitals during the day (parking on street later in the evening), and this was particularly useful as she was waiting on a transfer to James's (for the facial injuries) for a number of days, and it was roughly equidistant between the two and easily accessible.

    Had I had to park in hospital spaces (in particular as she was sent to James's and back one day, to be admitted the next day) I'd have been bled dry by the parking, as the rates are punitive. In particular, if you are there for enough hours to hit the max rate, and have to leave and come back, the clock resets and you can easily spend over the supposed max in a day. Now I'll hold my hands up and say that I could absolutely (though not easily) have gotten by on public transport through this, but given the antisocial hours I found myself coming and going from hospitals and/or the city centre, it would have been a lot tougher. And this was only an acute case over a week!

    I don't have the answer to making hospital parking more accessible to patients and families without being abused by everyone else, but there has to be a better way at the same time than the status quo.


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