I am in two minds over parking charges, if a place is central and easy to get to then people could use public transport. However, if as many places are now in out of town locations and without public transport at all times to cater for antisocial hours then provision should be made for staff.

When it comes to hospitals most big ones have carparks they charge relatives and patients to use, firstly instead of buying a ticket in advance why not operate them on a pay as you leave basis (so people do not worry and get fines for overstaying) and why not make them two tier, dig under and have a staff car park on a basement level free of charge and public car park on top, if they are handing these car parks over to companies to run them get that company to pay to convert them and then they keep the income from the pay car park.

Indeed, I do think it's wrong that a nurse (or other staff) has to pay to park in the hospital car park at the hospital where he/ she works
Car parks provided for staff to leave their cars while they are working to care for patients should not incur any charges at all
Patients, relatives etc, that is a different matter and charges should be made appropriately.

Because that business model does not work for the private parking companies who are brought in by hospital trusts/boards to 'manage' these car parks. The actual income in most cases from the parking charges (if the contract allows them to keep all or a proportion of it) is just the cherry on the cake. Issuing parking charge notices and as many as possible is the name of the game and where the real money is made. Take away "overstayers" by having a pay on exit barrier system leaves slim pickings for the parking company.

I think employers that charge their staff for parking send out the message that they don't value them enough.

I don't accept the argument that charging is necessary due to lack of parking space - other posters have mentioned that they pay for a parking permit and are still not guaranteed a parking place... I'm sorry but in my view that's swizzlesticks... as you are not getting what you have paid for. You are paying hundreds of £ annually for something that you may or may not get?!!

Well, I barely recall a time when there was free parking so it's not such a problem for me, particularly as the payment is taken directly out of salary so not really missed as such. I do know that the cost deters a lot of staff from bringing their cars to work which is good news for those of us who live much further away and are completely reliant on our cars. I would need to walk 20 minutes to a train station, get a train and then a bus to my place of work and I am currently working very unsociable hours, nights and weekends (just worked Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there was no public transport).

The car parks don't have enough spaces for all the staff who want to park. Most hospitals maintain separate staff and public use car parking facilities so we can't use non staff spaces unless we pay additional charges. The staff parking monthly charge at least deters those who work conventional hours within easy commuting distance from using their cars - although those staff probably wouldn't be given permits anyway.

Because I'm an essential car user, I can park for free when at the office. All the admin staff have to pay to park on the road, or walk a long way in, unless they come by public transport. Local government staff based here also have to pay to park, unless they are essential car users.

At the hospitals, staff have to pay for a permit, either for the hospital car parks or, in the case of Brighton, to park on the street where parking is restricted to residents and hospital permit holders.

I feel sorry for people who live outside the main towns, where public transport is very limited, because they have no choice but to drive in.

Well I don't think you have made a remotely compelling case. Why would they be cruising around looking for parking. The issue is charges not lack of parking. As for 'key medical staff' that's basically everyone who works at the hospital. Hospitals don't employ people for fun. Front line staff are not automatically key anymore than support staff. Most hospitals do make space available for staff, they just charge for in it as there is a cost to providing it. Personally I would prefer my taxes to go to clinical care as opposed to subsidising parking fees for working people.

When I worked at the NHS many years ago - staff were charged by way of a deduction from their monthly salary- percentage-wise so that the more your pay - the more you pay. I don't see anything wrong in it. Some people in the private sector who get paid less pay a lot more for parking in towns/cities - I'm sure they'd relish the opportunity to park on site for a small fee. My OH on the other hand - who also worked for the NHS for a while thinks its wrong.

If it is when on patient visits it is but when they need to return to base they pay to park either in pay and display or if on a hospital site (some bases for community nurses and therapists are on community hospital sites) then they pay a monthly sum dependent on their grade. What makes it unfair is this does not apply to all staff, those whose base is on a GP site are usually free so it is not equitable

How do you feel about workplaces which don't even provide a car park?

Have you also considered the difficulties in obtaining planning permission for huge numbers of parking spaces? New developments are expected to have green travel plans, and giving away free parking spaces to all employees doesn't fit that.

I work in a hospital & it costs me £360 per annum to park.

I was annoyed about it initially, but the hospital built a fancy 5 storery carpark to cater for all the staff, because parking used to be such a problem, so I convinced myself it was reasonable to help pay for the carpark & to pretty much guarantee a space, whereas before, we still had to pay, but if I was on a late shift, there was no way I'd ever have been able to find a parking space.

Sod that! Free parking all over town where I live, there are no traffic wardens in the area of Scotland where I live, the local council got rid if the last one about two years ago, it's a different world north of the border!

This is not solely an medical industry problem, lots of trades have to renew their accreditations every few years out of their own pockets.

I spoke to a nurse at the LRI who said parking spaces were allocated on longevity of service. As she had worked their for over 20 years she was given a permit, which peed off the newbie Doctors as they didn't get a permit and would have to wait until one became available. The spaces weren't free, they still had to pay to park at off site facilities and then walk to the Hospital site.

So that's minus £1440 from your annual salary before taxes. Just so that you can get to work.

I don't really see why anyone should have to pay for hospital parking, to be honest. No one is there voluntarily - they're either there by necessity or visiting someone who is. It's a horrendous expense as well - back when I was in hospital for a month two years back (surgery gone badly wrong) my boyfriend visited every day and it was costing him £40 odd a week which at the time was serious money to us. We could only afford it because we weren't spending money on food for me!

And the notion that staff have to pay for that when they're already treated appallingly and on wages that a civilised country should be ashamed of... disgusting.

Loads of people pay to come to work be that parking fees or transport costs. I think the differences are
If your car is essential to your work, for example community staff
Or if public transport is not available when the shift starts or finishes

I work in a trust that is comprised of 3 hospitals and the team I work in work across all 3 every rota, so the drivers have to pay for permits for 3 hospitals

however in London all 3 can be got too by public transport - I do and others in the team, so I guess if they opt to drive then thats their choice

Many city or town centre hospitals were built 100 years ago or more, and have outgrown their sites with no room to expand further. When new hospitals are built they should be on brownfield sites with new public transport links and plenty of parking space available incorporated into the design of the new site.

the trust I work for provides taxis if you finish at a time when there is no public transport

As it should be, mine does not but I suppose they tackle it differently by the flexible working policy

At my local hospital the porter was telling me when I was in a couple of months ago that they had planned a multi storey car park but had run out of money (also meant that they couldn't afford automatic doors for half the doors). Though I have been back to the hospital on a few occasions since and have always managed to get a space relatively quickly (free parking for the first 4 hours - no options to pay after that, you just have to leave...)