West Middlesex Hospital – car parking.
I have just received a newsletter from the Community Group by e-mail. I have a quick peruse when it arrives and check if there is something which interests me. I quite like reading the news within, and there is always the opportunity to be removed from the mailing list should I wish, or the delete key, so it is not intrusive or a form of po-litical harassment. Must be much easier and cheaper than sending out the foot soldiers, and ecologically considerate of the environment.It is a shame that the only contact from the other political groups is around an election, yet I imagine if the groups have picked the right representatives, each potential candidate is probably active in the community throughout the year.The part which took my interest was concerning the parking at The West Middlesex Hospital. Now, does anyone know how they decide how to band the parking price times? Or how people in the main wish to use the car parks? Does anyone know the typical time spent at the hospital for a visit? Does anyone do any surveys before deciding the time slots?I, like most people assume that they go for the most money making and not to allow accessibility to the services visitors wish to use at this important centre in our community. Most visits to the hospital can be very traumatic so the last thing you wish to worry about is the car parking fees or the possibility of a parking ticket. Does anyone check how many tickets are given out and the circumstances? What are the people saying who have their cars ticketed? Is there any useful (the po-lite bits) feedback from them concerning their use of the car park?Why should visiting the hospital be expensive if you have good reason to be there? Is the profit going back into health services, or to a private organisation?If there are delays in a particular department perhaps that could be reflected in the car park fees? Oh, go on, you want my example don’t you. .. ? Took son to an appointment and we arrived as always, in plenty of time. After sitting in the waiting room for ages I asked the receptionist if she knew by how much they were running late. She said she would ask. After another 15 minutes or so, we went up to ask if we could re-book – you don’t need to know the rest, but it turned out the Dr was sitting in his room, doing nothing. The person who was supposed to ‘place sons file on his desk’ hadn’t done this, so rather than get up and walk to the reception area, he had preferred to assume that we weren’t there. Wish the car park machine had done the same!We went to pick up our neighbour after a minor operation. Hubby went to get her while I sat in the car in the 'pick up' area. I had been there all of a couple of minutes and a man indicated I could not park there and should pay in the car park. After a discussion when I explained he let me stay by ignoring me, rather than by giving me permission to stay. When I asked about the other cars all parked there it turned out they were taxis….! They were all still there even after my neighbour was seat belted up. This week I had to take her again. A minor operation drop off and pick up in the evening. She is very frail and had not been able to eat or drink overnight and I was going to be on my own. Several calls to the hospital in the morning saying I wanted to park in the pick up area, and why, and I had the name of somebody which I placed on the dashboard enabling me to walk her to the ward and do the same in the evening without the worry of a parking ticket.The rear end of the car park has always been empty when I have had to use the car park. It wasn’t until I read the reference in the newsletter it being the “car park attached to the clinic for sexually transmitted diseases was empty, presumably as users wished to avoid embarrassment.” That I wondered whether I should have been parking there! Crumbs!
Sarah Felstead ● 7164d6 Comments