UCHG Car Park

hession

Wondering if anyone has ever had to deal with the main car park people in the hospital grounds,i think it ParkRite there called,I was admitted to hospital on Tuesday and i was told that if i was going to be kept in that my car was ok in the main car park,that if i got the ward sister to stamp it i wouldnt be charged,my mother also asked at the main hospital reception desk and was told the same thing,so i was happy in knowing that my car was going to be safe and i didnt have to pay for a few days parking,But when i was told i could go home saturday i got the ward sister to stamp my ticket,went to the car and put my stuff in then i said id go to the car park attendent to see if the barrier would just lift or what the story was,lord was i in for a shock i have never came across such a rude man in all my life,he was not one way helpfull,told me to go back into reception and sort it out ,so back i went i was then told that if i was kept in the car park was covered so i went out to this rude man again,he told me that if he didnt get €40 my car wasnt going anywhere,well as i was only after an operation i wasnt able to stand there and fight my battle with him,in the end a family friend helped me out but i was just wondering if anyone has ever dealt with these people,he even went as far as to acuise me of calling the guards which i never done,if i knew it was going to cause so much hassle i would have had my car taken out the night i went to hospital....

Rant over :(:(:(:(

hondasam

One question springs to mind, why did you bring your car in the first place and how come you did not get someone to bring it home for you?
AFAIK the car park has nothing to do with the hospital so the ward sister had no right to tell you anything.

barone

hondasam wrote: »

One question springs to mind, why did you bring your car in the first place and how come you did not get someone to bring it home for you?
AFAIK the car park has nothing to do with the hospital so the ward sister had no right to tell you anything.

jesus cut the guy some slack ffs, ive been told the same myself and there is a sign up somewhere in the hospital ive seen it, if he went to hospital and didnt have to stay he'd need transport home, after waiting hours to find out his situation.. bringing the car is what i would have done myself,and after being told twice he was ok your given him grief ?

op,make an official complaint to the hospital and the park rite and get your money back...

hession

hondasam wrote: »

One question springs to mind, why did you bring your car in the first place and how come you did not get someone to bring it home for you?
AFAIK the car park has nothing to do with the hospital so the ward sister had no right to tell you anything.

The reason i brought my car is i need transport to get home as i didnt think i would have been kept in,also when i did ask about the car park i was told as i was admitted it was ok to leave my car there so who am i to question the reception staff at the hospital.

hoody

Parkrite contact page

Tell them all about it - sounds like the attendant was an ass. But the ward sister and reception staff have absolutely nothing to do with the car park, and shouldn't have told you it would be free. Used to work on one of the reception desks myself and we were warned never to say that Parkrite would let you out for free.

But the rudeness is unacceptable, as it is in every sphere of life, so I would get onto HQ and tell them about it. Otherwise, he or she will be just as rude to others in future.

hondasam

barone wrote: »

jesus cut the guy some slack ffs, ive been told the same myself and there is a sign up somewhere in the hospital ive seen it, if he went to hospital and didnt have to stay he'd need transport home, after waiting hours to find out his situation.. bringing the car is what i would have done myself,and after being told twice he was ok your given him grief ?

op,make an official complaint to the hospital and the park rite and get your money back...

If I was staying in I would get someone to bring the car home rather than leave it parked there,

hession wrote: »

The reason i brought my car is i need transport to get home as i didnt think i would have been kept in,also when i did ask about the car park i was told as i was admitted it was ok to leave my car there so who am i to question the reception staff at the hospital.

The car park is operated by a private company, nothing to do with the hospital.
Did they tell you it would be free to park there?

RubyGirl

Def ring and complain, maybe get a letter from the ward nurse who told you it was included.

Not much good to you now but you should have told him you lost your ticket.

hoody

RubyGirl wrote: »

Def ring and complain, maybe get a letter from the ward nurse who told you it was included.

Not much good to you now but you should have told him you lost your ticket.

You won't get a letter from the ward sister.

snubbleste

hoody wrote: »

You won't get a letter from the ward sister.

Iz it cos she kant right?

Seriously OP, there is a complaints officer in the hospital, that's your starting point.

hoody

I wouldn't say that the complaints officer is your starting point - they'll put you onto Parkrite straight away, but I imagine it would certainly do no harm to get in touch with them and tell them that you were led to believe that it would be free by hospital staff.

But the rudeness etc came from a Parkrite employee, while you were dealing with a Parkrite issue, so take it up with them first.

KittyeeTrix

OP, I would say to take it up with all of them cos otherwise they will shunt you from one to the other:(

fishy fishy

the car parks there are a nightmare, with staff, visitors etc trying to get spaces. It might have been better if you got someone to drive you and collect you or if you had gotten a cab. Your car was taking up a space for a few days while you were in hospital, adding to the congestion of the place. Not to be insensitive, but it was just adding to the chaos that is there already. You weren't going to use the car, so why bring it.

hession

fishy fishy wrote: »

the car parks there are a nightmare, with staff, visitors etc trying to get spaces. It might have been better if you got someone to drive you and collect you or if you had gotten a cab. Your car was taking up a space for a few days while you were in hospital, adding to the congestion of the place. Not to be insensitive, but it was just adding to the chaos that is there already. You weren't going to use the car, so why bring it.

When i went to the hospital i didnt think i would have been kept in thats why i brought my car and as i live outside the city gettn a cab was not an opition.

Pulsating Star

hession wrote: »

The reason i brought my car is i need transport to get home as i didnt think i would have been kept in,

fishy fishy wrote: »

You weren't going to use the car, so why bring it.

Maybe his foresight is no match for your hindsight.

hession wrote: »

When i went to the hospital i didnt think i would have been kept in thats why i brought my car and as i live outside the city gettn a cab was not an opition.

factual lies

thats 40 quid in his pocket for xmas !

fishy fishy

hession wrote: »

The reason i brought my car is i need transport to get home as i didnt think i would have been kept in,also when i did ask about the car park i was told as i was admitted it was ok to leave my car there so who am i to question the reception staff at the hospital.

didn't you say your mother was with you, could she not have driven it home, or did she get a cab.

?Cee?view

Jeez, would ye give the OP a break.

Really shocked that noone has been on yet saying that he should have done the responsible thing and cycled

Also, I don't buy the "It's none of the hospital's business" line. Park-Rite or whomever obviously have the car park leased from the hospital or the HSE. The lease/licence may be subject to conditions such as patients being allowed certain free time. It's unlikely that hospital staff just made up the idea. Perhaps it existed at one time as an arrangement even if it doesn't now.

Even if no such arrangement exists, I would still argue that the hospital owes some duty of care (even if not in the legal sense), to ensure that their patients are dealt with appropriately by their lessees, licensees etc.

I wouldn't let this one drop. I'd be looking for a refund and apologies from the hospital and car park company.

My heart goes out to you OP. You've obviously been through a tough time and the last thing you needed was to encounter some job's worth on a power trip. Good luck with your recovery.

fishy fishy

churchview wrote: »

Jeez, would ye give the OP a break.

Really shocked that noone has been on yet saying that he should have done the responsible thing and cycled

Also, I don't buy the "It's none of the hospital's business" line. Park-Rite or whomever obviously have the car park leased from the hospital or the HSE. The lease/licence may be subject to conditions such as patients being allowed certain free time. It's unlikely that hospital staff just made up the idea. Perhaps it existed at one time as an arrangement even if it doesn't now.

Even if no such arrangement exists, I would still argue that the hospital owes some duty of care (even if not in the legal sense), to ensure that their patients are dealt with appropriately by their lessees, licensees etc.

I wouldn't let this one drop. I'd be looking for a refund and apologies from the hospital and car park company.

My heart goes out to you OP. You've obviously been through a tough time and the last thing you needed was to encounter some job's worth on a power trip. Good luck with your recovery.

which car park are you talking about - did you know there are several car parks in that one area. Maybe she parked in the wrong one. Its overcrowded in the first place, cars cannot get in or out of the place. It's a wonder ambulances don't have to stop at the gate and tell their patients to walk. If you check it out, you will realise there are different car parks in that area, not just one.

?Cee?view

fishy fishy wrote: »

which car park are you talking about - did you know there are several car parks in that one area. Maybe she parked in the wrong one. Its overcrowded in the first place, cars cannot get in or out of the place. It's a wonder ambulances don't have to stop at the gate and tell their patients to walk. If you check it out, you will realise there are different car parks in that area, not just one.

AFAIK all the public car parks are run by Park Rite. The OP is clearly referring to one run by Park Rite. Not sure therefore why I should have to "check...out" anything, but thanks for the suggestion.

There is a seperate lane from the University Road side for the car park and therefore ambulances should not be obstructed. The OP parking in the car park certainly didn't obstruct anyone.

Shakti

Lots of people have no choice but to drive themselves to hospital yes even when they are in considerable pain or discomfort. If you have someone to take you or collect your car great for you but you don't know what its like for others so stop judging them.
UCHG car park = nightmare, Day visit = park in the westside library, the only free passes I've seen given out for day visits is for oncology, overnight stay = ticket stamped no fee.
Charging sick people, parents of sick children etc. for parking in a hospital is just plain wrong.
Hope your feeling better OP.

fishy fishy

churchview wrote: »

AFAIK all the public car parks are run by Park Rite. The OP is clearly referring to one run by Park Rite. Not sure therefore why I should have to "check...out" anything, but thanks for the suggestion.

There is a seperate lane from the University Road side for the car park and therefore ambulances should not be obstructed. The OP parking in the car park certainly didn't obstruct anyone.

you are welcome - parking a car for days on end is really not a smart thing to do - it adds to the congestion on a daily basis. Would you not agree. Think about it, if everyone staying in the hospital at any given time decided to park the car there for the duration, what state woudl the place be in. Its a nightmare. Better option would have been for someone to drop a person off if they are staying in hospital or arrange to get their car out of the place - there are staff car parks there also - as I say it is a maze of different car parks.

?Cee?view

fishy fishy wrote: »

you are welcome - parking a car for days on end is really not a smart thing to do - it adds to the congestion on a daily basis. Would you not agree. Think about it, if everyone staying in the hospital at any given time decided to park the car there for the duration, what state woudl the place be in. Its a nightmare. Better option would have been for someone to drop a person off if they are staying in hospital or arrange to get their car out of the place - there are staff car parks there also - as I say it is a maze of different car parks.

Maybe. Maybe not. The issue is moot in this case. The issue is that the OP was treated appallingly and there is no excuse for that.

That he hadn't the clairvoyant powers to recognise that his planned day visit was going to turn into an in-patient procedure is irrelevant. Unexpected things such as medical complications tend to happen in hospitals. When unexpected things arise, patients are entitled to at the least expect courtesy and compassion.

fishy fishy

i understand that churchview, - all I am saying is they should not be surprised if they get a charge for parking their car for several days. As I keep saying there are different areas of car parks in that total area. If you think logically, you cannot park in a car park in town without paying. If you do want to take up a space for several days don't be surprised if you have to fork out for it. Otherwise that whole carpark would be filled with patients cars and nobody else would be able to get in or out.

Its all very well getting hot and bothered about it, but if you think about it logically you might see where I am coming from. And yes, sick people get charged for parking too - you might not like it but this is the world we live in - blame the govt. Personally I would be more worried about a sick person being able to upkeep their health insurance costs, rather than paying car park fees. It would be a better issue to get upset about. but there ya go.

?Cee?view

fishy fishy wrote: »

i understand that churchview, - all I am saying is they should not be surprised if they get a charge for parking their car for several days. As I keep saying there are different areas of car parks in that total area. If you think logically, you cannot park in a car park in town without paying. If you do want to take up a space for several days don't be surprised if you have to fork out for it. Otherwise that whole carpark would be filled with patients cars and nobody else would be able to get in or out.

Its all very well getting hot and bothered about it, but if you think about it logically you might see where I am coming from. And yes, sick people get charged for parking too - you might not like it but this is the world we live in - blame the govt. Personally I would be more worried about a sick person being able to upkeep their health insurance costs, rather than paying car park fees. It would be a better issue to get upset about. but there ya go.

Listen, forget the spatial planning and blaming the government bit. Of course I agree with you on that, but they're nothing to do with the issue here. All you need to see is a huge field to the rear of the hospital being rezoned for a private hospital group and today's quoting of an OECD report that health spending in Ireland is one of the highest to understand that it's all a shambles.

The analogy with a car park in town doesn't work. In that case you're paying solely for parking. In this case, you've (or insurance has) paid thousands for the hospital's service.

What is non-negotiable is that the OP should have been treated with consistency and courtesy. He wasn't and for that he should receive an apology.

He was also misled and told by the hospital that he would not have to pay. For that he should receive a refund.

Of course the OP is "upset" and "hot and bothered". He's been misled and abused.

fishy fishy

yes and to annoy you more, they council want to lease out land for a PRIVATE facility there in the near future - what does that mean - it means more people coming in to work, more cars, and more congestions. On top of that they want to build another entrance road.

I just looked up the car parking situation - at the moment there is 12 car parks in that area, the charges are 1.20 per hour, or 8 euro per day. No exceptions.

There is a very interesting article also on the Advertiser which states that outpatients have to miss appointments or spend hours in a waiting line, for a waiting line to park at the hospital for their appointments due to lack of spaces. Part of this is people not organising to have their vehicle taken away if they are spending days in the hospital. Everyone needs to do their bit. A car parked there for five days and not being used - how many people could park in that spot over the course of that time.

fishy fishy

churchview wrote: »

Listen, forget the spatial planning and blaming the government bit. Of course I agree with you on that, but they're nothing to do with the issue here. All you need to see is a huge field to the rear of the hospital being rezoned for a private hospital group and today's quoting of an OECD report that health spending in Ireland is one of the highest to understand that it's all a shambles.

The analogy with a car park in town doesn't work. In that case you're paying solely for parking. In this case, you've (or insurance has) paid thousands for the hospital's service.

What is non-negotiable is that the OP should have been treated with consistency and courtesy. He wasn't and for that he should receive an apology.

He was also misled and told by the hospital that he would not have to pay. For that he should receive a refund.

Of course the OP is "upset" and "hot and bothered". He's been misled and abused.

the car park is taken over by a private company - you insurance covers your hospital stay and medical - not your car parking fees.

fishy fishy

hession wrote: »

Wondering if anyone has ever had to deal with the main car park people in the hospital grounds,i think it ParkRite there called,I was admitted to hospital on Tuesday and i was told that if i was going to be kept in that my car was ok in the main car park,that if i got the ward sister to stamp it i wouldnt be charged,my mother also asked at the main hospital reception desk and was told the same thing,so i was happy in knowing that my car was going to be safe and i didnt have to pay for a few days parking,But when i was told i could go home saturday i got the ward sister to stamp my ticket,went to the car and put my stuff in then i said id go to the car park attendent to see if the barrier would just lift or what the story was,lord was i in for a shock i have never came across such a rude man in all my life,he was not one way helpfull,told me to go back into reception and sort it out ,so back i went i was then told that if i was kept in the car park was covered so i went out to this rude man again,he told me that if he didnt get €40 my car wasnt going anywhere,well as i was only after an operation i wasnt able to stand there and fight my battle with him,in the end a family friend helped me out but i was just wondering if anyone has ever dealt with these people,he even went as far as to acuise me of calling the guards which i never done,if i knew it was going to cause so much hassle i would have had my car taken out the night i went to hospital....

Rant over :(:(:(:(

I think maybe in the future you should do this if you are ever admitted again, (which I hope you are not). That way, you save yourself some money, and also you give outpatients a fighting chance to make their appointments.

hope you have recovered well.

?Cee?view

fishy fishy wrote: »

yes and to annoy you more, they council want to lease out land for a PRIVATE facility there in the near future - what does that mean - it means more people coming in to work, more cars, and more congestions. On top of that they want to build another entrance road.

I just looked up the car parking situation - at the moment there is 12 car parks in that area, the charges are 1.20 per hour, or 8 euro per day. No exceptions.

There is a very interesting article also on the Advertiser which states that outpatients have to miss appointments or spend hours in a waiting line, for a waiting line to park at the hospital for their appointments due to lack of spaces. Part of this is people not organising to have their vehicle taken away if they are spending days in the hospital. Everyone needs to do their bit. A car parked there for five days and not being used - how many people could park in that spot over the course of that time.

Nothing to do with the case at issue. The OP still deserves to be treated well.

fishy fishy

hession wrote: »

When i went to the hospital i didnt think i would have been kept in thats why i brought my car and as i live outside the city gettn a cab was not an opition.

but you did admit that if you know it was going to cause you hassle by paying for it, you would have organised to take it out on the night you were admitted.

?Cee?view

fishy fishy wrote: »

the car park is taken over by a private company - you insurance covers your hospital stay and medical - not your car parking fees.

It's not "taken over" whatever that means. It's leased or licensed subject to conditions and subject to the overriding principle that the HSE should above all care for its patients. Have a quick gander at their charter

"In our communications we will be caring, loyal, truthful, respectful, kind, considerate and empathetic."

Is fobbing him off to park-rite "caring, loyal, truthful, respectful, kind, considerate and empathetic"?

fishy fishy

churchview wrote: »

It's not "taken over" whatever that means. It's leased or licensed subject to conditions and subject to the overriding principle that the HSE should above all care for its patients. Have a quick gander at their charter

"In our communications we will be caring, loyal, truthful, respectful, kind, considerate and empathetic."

Is fobbing him off to park-rite "caring, loyal, truthful, respectful, kind, considerate and empathetic"?

don't understand what this has to do with having a barney with a parking attendant.

It would be a better world if EVERYBODY was a bit more respectful and considerate of others. The OP has blatently stated that he/she would have organised the removal of the car on the night they were admitted. So it was possible to do that. Parking there for five days and nights, even tho its a well known problem that this carpark is a nightmare, was not to considerate, kind, or empathetic to anybody else looking for a space in there. Be honest the OP chose to keep the space, he has to pay for it. We can all do He Said/She Said arguments to prove our case. Nobody is special here - we all have take responsiblity and not blame others because you did not investigate the issue fully.