Hospital parking charges increase at almost half of health trusts.

[Jomie]

At some hospitals frequent visitors might be able to get reduced parking charges, eg:

Quote

Car parking concessions

Motor cycles and bicycles : Free  
Long stay / frequent clinics: For those partners/patients who have family in the Hospital for a period longer than 7 days, or patients attending Outpatients clinics frequently (3 times per week), a daily pass will be issued by security which will be £1.00 per visit. Senior ward staff will need to fill in the concessionary parking form and take this to security who will issue the ticket bringing it down to £1.00. On receipt of the information Security will issue a ticket to the value of £1.00.  Patients/visitors are asked to speak to a senior ward staff member for more information.

 

Edited December 29, 2018 by Jomie

[andyofborg]

13 hours ago, Pyrotequila said:

How come the car parks are free for the NHS in Scotland but not in England?

scotland is a different country and the scottish government decided to make car parking free

 

the welsh government did the same thing

Edited December 29, 2018 by andyofborg

[andyofborg]

18 hours ago, Anna B said:

 

Maybe somebody can explain to me why paying ridiculously ehorbitant prices for NHS basics is tolerated?

Surely, with their buying power, they should be able to strike the best deals possible. If not, then the (probably)highly  overpaid executive in charge should be on his way, and somebody who can, be put in charge.

 

until fairly recently, purchasing was done by individual trusts so they didn't have much in the way of buying power, especially the smaller trusts.

 

a central procurement organisation was set up four or five years ago which is delivering  significant savings on many items. 

 

however, bear in mind that sainsbury's for example has almost 1500 stores, and  over18.5 million customers per week that provides them with massive buying power. 

 

[Obelix]

ANPR camera system at entry to car park. Go in, have your appointment, come out, and tap our reg number in. Only if you are a hospital visitor can you do that, and then for you parking is free.

 

But that of course wont make the trusts as much money so there you go...

[Janus]

There has been several incidents of nhs managers involved in corruption. 

 

One that I recall was awarding a contract for some equipment to a company that he owned. It certainly made the news.

 

How much opportunity is there for things like this to happen. We only get to hear about it when these pepole are discovered. 

[Cyclone]

10 hours ago, andyofborg said:

until fairly recently, purchasing was done by individual trusts so they didn't have much in the way of buying power, especially the smaller trusts.

 

a central procurement organisation was set up four or five years ago which is delivering  significant savings on many items. 

 

however, bear in mind that sainsbury's for example has almost 1500 stores, and  over18.5 million customers per week that provides them with massive buying power. 

 

If a supermarket can sell paracetamol at 17p a pack, then the NHS can buy it direct from them for that price if not less...  So how does it cost the NHS £7

[andyofborg]

11 hours ago, Cyclone said:

If a supermarket can sell paracetamol at 17p a pack, then the NHS can buy it direct from them for that price if not less...  So how does it cost the NHS £7

not sure where you got the £7 from. a quick search from google gave a number of links around £3.23 from july 2017

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nhs-70-million-paracetamol-last-year-figures-department-of-health-painkillers-prescriptions-a7819661.html

 

One of the comments on this article, suggests that the prescriptions are for larger quantities of paracetamol, several times larger than those a supermarket can sell.

 

Also, this article implies there is an element of support for the pharmacy built into the price. 

 

Several years ago, I was prescribed paracetamol following an injury, but the pharmacist suggested I just buy it rather than have that part of the prescription filled. 

 

For short term/casual pain relief, then I'm sure most GPs and/or pharmacists would suggest the same. For those with longer term pain relief requirements then a prescription for a larger amount may be the best option from a patient care point of view.  

 

[Cyclone]

Ah, it might have been the 7 from £70 million that I remembered.  Still, £3.23 is 15 times the cost it could be bought at retail prices from a supermarket.  So presumably at least 20 times the wholesale cost.

 

From NHS england

• Can be purchased over the counter, and sometimes at a lower cost than that which would be incurred by the NHS – paracetamol is an average of four times as expensive when provided on prescription by the NHS, compared to when it is purchased in pharmacies or supermarkets. It can costs around £34 for 32 on prescription including dispensing and GP consultation fees.

 

That appears to be suggest that paracetamol costs the NHS >£1 per tablet.  Compared to not much over a penny per tablet from the supermarket.

The "four times as expensive" would appear to be before the costs for the pharmacist and GP are included.

[Anna B]

On 12/29/2018 at 5:54 PM, Janus said:

There has been several incidents of nhs managers involved in corruption. 

 

One that I recall was awarding a contract for some equipment to a company that he owned. It certainly made the news.

 

How much opportunity is there for things like this to happen. We only get to hear about it when these pepole are discovered. 

And even when it's discovered, nothing is done about it.  We ought to be more like the French, and protest these things very loudly and often. Maybe then things would change.

[WalkleyIan]

Will the folk such as my friend with colitis who has to get two buses to the NG for an appointment get their fares refunded then?