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| What 296 customers said about ParkingEye (source: Trustpilot) |
With all the chaos at Chorley and Preston hospitals due to the new hospital parking system, it's as though the hospital trust don't want anyone at their (OUR) hospitals at all.
Preston hospital car parks were strapped for space no doubt but the lack of ground maintenance was apparent for all to see, a rubble and shambles. The excuses used by the trust to justify bringing in the most hated parking company 'Parking Eye' doesn't wash with anyone.
At least anyone outside the 'trust board' fraternity.
A more friendly intercom barrier system has been replaced with a hostile 'Pay or Else' big brother camera that haunts your waking hours waiting to pound your front door carpet with its penalty charge notice.
A worrying and sickening thought for those already stressed about their loved ones who lay poorly in a hospital bed.
Not content with doubling the parking fees and charging disabled people to park, Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust then add insult to injury by bringing in the countries most hated private parking company 'Parking Eye' to ensure penalties and profits are maximised for both parties!
The new camera parking system implemented just before Christmas was a yuletide insult to staff, patients and visitors. How much disrespect can one show to those who pay their wages?
The trust claim there are teething problems with the new parking system, yet when the machines fail, the Parking company, apparently based in Buckshaw village, are nowhere to be seen.
This has left the trust having to send extra staff out to appease drivers stood ranting and raging at the faulty pay machines, whilst the queues get longer and longer...
The trust's website identifies the trusts 'council of governors' - (democratically elected by local people) as representing their local communities, and working together with the trust board to advise and influence how the hospital trust develop and deliver services.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
The proposal for the new ANPR hospital parking system however was heavily criticised by the council of governors but instead of heeding the advice the trust tried to gag the peoples voice and when things went wrong they suspended the governor who spoke out.
Only 12 weeks ago it was reported that the Lancashire teaaching hospital trust charged their own staff over half-a-million £pounds to park at their place of work! They then reined in over £1.75 million in car parking fees taken from patients and visitors to the hospitals, sickening in itself.
This trust board were reprimanded in an independant review for not acting sooner and recruiting staff to avoid closure of the A&E at Chorley & South Ribble district hospital in 2016.
The board didn't listen then, and they've STILL not learned the lesson as they don't appear to be listening now.It's seems apparent the trust board do not have the interests of the public they serve as priority. With a £43m deficit, the new car parking scheme is just another funding stream that not only fails at the first hurdle, but has infuriated staff, patients and visitors to the extent nobody wants to visit or work there anymore.
Well done Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS foundation trust, pat yourselves on the back whilst you watch staff recruitment and retention rates fall, and your deficits grow.
Related
(New parking charge strategies have been labelled "scrooge tactics" and "a tax on the sick" by critics).
- December 2018 - More new parking charges at Preston and Chorley hospitals to be introduced from December 21
- Hospital parking: Governor who spoke out about 'chaos' is suspended
