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The price of visiting someone in Hospital.

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  • 23-12-2009 11:45am
    #1
    studiorat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭


    Something I noticed the other day has got on my goat. And I don't mean to start giving out about hospital staff, they job they do is usually fantastic. I think it's pretty bad form how one hospital I noticed seem to be charging visitors over the odds for certain services.

    St. Vincents hospital, charging about €3 an hour for parking, which is an inconvience at best. However what really pissed me off was the fact that in their cafe, the price of a coffee is €3 and a pre-made sandwich on a paper plate is a FIVER! €5?

    What the hell is that all about? It's costing my friend about €20 a day to visit her mother in hospital. It does'nt sound like much but it adds up.

    I could have a coffee in the Westbury for that.

    I don't expect the hospital to subsidise the cafe, but their prices really are inflated. Considering eating there is a last resort, it's pretty rich profiteering on the fact that people have to eat their not out of choice but out of necessity.


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    #2
    Richard Dower
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,634 ✭✭✭✭Richard Dower


    It's always expensive to buy stuff in hospital, that's what families and friends are for.....
    They need to make cash from those things you mentioned, it's not like the government give them a good enough budget to run things as is, i get what you're saying...it's a ripoff!, just buy stuff in Dunnes or Aldi or park down the road.


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    #3
    pixbyjohn
    Registered Users Posts: 6,250 ✭✭✭pixbyjohn


    Those cafes are not run by the hospital so they charge exhorbitant prices I agree. Why don't you go to the staff canteen where you can get a great deal. The only stipulation is that you don't use it at staff meal times.


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    #4
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    While I don't think there is a Dunnes or Aldi nearby, there is a large Tesco with long opening hours across the road from St. Vincent's. Could be helpful. I don't know how much parking costs there though.


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    #5
    ronn
    Registered Users Posts: 1,069 ✭✭✭ronn


    just went past the hospital clamper de clamping a car, an extra e120.00 on top of everything else


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    #6
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    If you're visiting a relative frequently in St. Vincents- get the porter to stamp your ticket as you're leaving- and you pay a flatrate (think its 7 Euro for the day). I'd echo what the others have said about Tesco across the road- you really have no reason to be buying crap sandwiches in there on a paper plate......


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    #7
    _Whimsical_
    Registered Users Posts: 7,951 ✭✭✭_Whimsical_


    Richard Dower wrote: »
    It's always expensive to buy stuff in hospital, that's what families and friends are for.....
    They need to make cash from those things you mentioned, it's not like the government give them a good enough budget to run things as is, i get what you're saying...it's a ripoff!, just buy stuff in Dunnes or Aldi or park down the road.

    Not everyone has the luxury of regular visits from friends and family though. Last time I was in hospital there were several people from different parts of the country who didn't see a soul all the time. There was 1 cup of tea at breakfast, 1 cup of tea at 6pm and the water cooler on the floor was broken. Every drop drank other than those cups of tea was paid for when the shop lady came around. There was near rejoicing when someones mother brought a packet of Rich Tea in. Doctors often arrived in the middle of dinner time and if your food was left stone cold and inedible you got nothing else. It was like a trip to an fat farm. The fourteen year old in the bed beside me lost half a stone and she wasn't unable to eat during her stay.

    Buying food or drink before you go to visit is the best idea but I don't think that companies should be allowed to make large profits off the back of people who are forced to be in hospital as patients or visitors. It's not as if anyone eating there is doing so because their enjoy the ambience.


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    #8
    GER12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 145 ✭✭GER12


    You get the asst. director of nursing to sign the form and this entitles family members of seriously ill patients to receive discounted parking in the car park. You then bring the form over to the car park along with the parking ticket every time you use it.... the form will usually have an expiry date. The nursing staff on the ward should be able to get in touch with the ADON and get her to sign the form for you - if not the office for nursing admin is downstairs on the right hand side of the corridor heading from the main foyer down towards the chapel towards the old entrance.


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