Hospital parking for 30 mins to 2 hours up nearly 60%

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A new set of payment options for parking at Macclesfield District General Hospital is set to be introduced this month which the East Cheshire NHS Trust says will simplify the payment options.

However, for those wishing to stay between 30 minutes and two hours the cost will increase by nearly 60% from £2.20 (the rate is currently £2.20 for up to two hours) to £3.50.

With effect from Friday, October 20th, the amount motorists pay to park at the site will be simplified to four tariffs, which will apply 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

A stay of up to 30 minutes will be free, parking for between 30 minutes and four hours will be £3.50, and a stay of between four hours and 12 hours will be charged at £6. Meanwhile, frequent visitors to the hospital can take advantage of a seven-day ticket priced at £12.

Under the new tariffs, the length of free time has been extended by ten minutes and the charge for up to four hours parking is almost £1 cheaper than the existing tariff.

Parking for disabled motorists will remain free of charge but Blue Badge holders must ensure their vehicle is registered with the trust, as per existing arrangements.

Mark Ogden is Director of Finance for East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs Macclesfield Hospital. He explained: "These new simpler tariffs should be easier to follow for our patients and visitors and are more consistent with charges at other NHS trusts.

"While hospital parking charges will always prove a contentious issue, I can assure patients and visitors that 100% of the income from parking tariffs is retained by the trust and therefore ultimately reinvested in the vital services we provide."

The new tariffs do not involve any changes to the camera-based parking management system in operation at the Macclesfield site. As is already the case, parking can be paid for up until midnight on the day of a visit, so anyone running late or unsure how long an appointment will take can pay for their parking on exit.

Tags:
Macclesfield Hospital, Parking, Parking
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Nik Eastwood
Friday 13th October 2017 at 3:11 pm
it might be more helpful to those who use the hospital parking if the website was up to date with the new charges http://bit.ly/2zl1Kuy
Jenny Canner-Farrington
Friday 13th October 2017 at 4:09 pm
There should be a system that if your appointment is delayed then the people at the desk log it so you don't have to pay for the additional parking time.
Last time I took my Mum for what should have been a 5 minute check up, we weren't called in until nearly 2 hours after the scheduled appointment time.
We shouldn't have to pay for that.
Jonathan Follows
Saturday 14th October 2017 at 11:14 am
Why can't people working in the public sector speak clear English?

"Simplification" meaning that anyone who has a 30 minute out-patient appointment (as I used to have, regularly) will have to pay £3.50 in future instead of £2.20 today.

"Simplification" meaning that anyone who parks for more than four hours on Saturday or Sunday pays £6 in future rather than £2.20 today.

Why can't someone just say "we're increasing our car parking charges because we need the money"?

Don't forget also that the car park is operated by the loathsome Parking Eye, a subsidiary of Capita, under a contract which was signed on October 6th. 2014 following publication of government guidance on 23rd. August 2014 that states that "Contracts should not be let on any basis that incentivises additional charges, eg ‘income from parking charge notices only’. ", which is exactly the basis under which Parking Eye operates this car park.
Jonathan Follows
Saturday 14th October 2017 at 1:01 pm
Also, I observe that "100% of the income from parking tariffs is retained by the trust" doesn't say (but might be thought to imply) that 100% of every £3.50 spent on parking is retained by the trust, because VAT is levied for parking on private land (which this is treated as) and therefore out of the £3.50 there's 58p which goes to the government as VAT and £2.92 which goes to the trust. What is true is that Parking Eye hands over all the money it collects on the trust's behalf paid into its parking machines.
Oliver Romain
Sunday 15th October 2017 at 4:01 am
I would rather have somewhere to park than not at all and this means the parking needs funding. The hospital should be committing to increase parking availability as the car park is often full.
Julian Barlow
Sunday 15th October 2017 at 8:16 am
Quickly, get the Doctor! We have a patient who's been violently shafted in the car park.
DELETED ACCOUNT
Sunday 15th October 2017 at 9:23 am
The issue of parking charges would not be so contentious if there was good public transport. But what we have is no trains from Wilmslow to Macclesfield and the bus service is one an hour, reduced service on a Saturday and no service on a Sunday.
Dave Cash
Sunday 15th October 2017 at 1:02 pm
Expect CEC to introduce more parking restrictions on the roads adjacent to the hospital once these charges are implemented.
Alan Brough
Sunday 15th October 2017 at 8:39 pm
There's something really wrong about profiting from people who are probably at a very low ebb - either attending hospital for treatment or visiting loved ones who are receiving treatment......it's the corporate vulture sitting on the post preening it's feathers whilst waiting to pick over the bones.
Andrew Wright
Monday 16th October 2017 at 6:49 am
In contrast, I recently had the attend the Trafford Park Hospital which has lots of available parking space and is free to park! So why can they do this when Macc can't?
Barry Stafford
Wednesday 18th October 2017 at 5:59 pm
These charges are copied from Stepping Hill. I paid the £3.50 up front,having driven around the hosp.fot 15 mins.then rushed to make appt. Iwas out in 20 mins..So, yes extortionate.Baz