A new survey of more than 1,000 motorists asked for which events they were delayed to over the last six months as a result of not being able to park. Shockingly, 32 percent of respondents said they had been late to their hospital appointments, more than any other event on the list.
With NHS data showing that over 120 million hospital outpatient appointments were made last year, this could mean that millions of people in the UK were potentially late to their appointments, putting them at risk of cancellation.
Brannan Coady, CEO of YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said that with the pressure the NHS is under, the last thing they need is a large number of cancellations.
With issues surrounding parking, there is a chance that people would have been forced to cancel their appointment, creating an even larger backlog.
The latest news comes at a time when the NHS is already under scrutiny because of extensive waiting list increases for both A&E and other elective surgeries, among other prominent issues it is facing.
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Mr Coady added: “Imagine the further despair and misery this could cause someone who has waited a long time to be seen by a medical professional, to then have their appointment cancelled because they couldn’t find a parking spot in time.
“If you consider the amount of people that use hospital car parking, the staff, patients and visitors, it is easy to see how the increased volume of people going there has caused this issue to spill over.”
Indeed, over the past 10 years, appointments scheduled at hospitals over the UK has increased by 20 million, with little investment in the parking infrastructure at many NHS trusts to combat the increased traffic levels.
Coady called upon those who can, to look at alternatives to using official NHS parking spaces.
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He continued: “If people are able to walk a short distance, then renting a private driveway, which normally comes at a cheaper price compared to NHS pay and display spaces, could help to alleviate the pressure at hospitals.
“This could then free up spaces for those who are more in need of a spot closer to the hospital.”
Further research conducted by YourParkingSpace.co.uk found that stays of up to one hour cost around £2.80 at many hospitals.
Savvy patients could instead use the online portal to locate and pre-book a nearby spot, sometimes for as little as £1 and guarantee they can get to their appointment on time.
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According to GOV.UK, parking will be provided free to all outpatients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within a month and for an overall period of at least three months.
Free parking is also meant to be provided to the parent of a child in hospital overnight, and applies to a maximum of two vehicles.
This applies to the parent or guardian of a child or young person (under 18 years old), who is admitted s an inpatient at hospital overnight.
They receive free parking between the hours of 7.30pm and 8am while visiting the child.
Disabled patients and visitors receive free parking for the duration of their attendance at, or visit to, the hospital.
Disabled employees receive free parking while at the hospital for purposes relating to their employment.
Free parking also applies for any staff working night shifts, starting after 7.30pm and ending before 8am.
According to the NHS Standard Contract, this requires NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts to comply where applicable.
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