Why do hospitals, most of whom have large catchment areas, make accessing them so difficult?

Our local hospital is 15 miles away and has absolutely dire parking. We have no buses from our village so have no choice but to use cars. Luckily they have recently re opened a park and ride that was closed at the start of covid to house one of those 'tent' hospitals that weren't used. The park and ride is 10 minutes from the hospital but only runs every half an hour now which is only a minibus and frequently the queues are very busy because the hospital is vast and sees a huge number of patients.

Agree!

The largest hospital in our capital city had a park and ride, very efficient with regular buses and ample parking. It's just been closed to build a data bank on the site. Parking at the hospital is dreadful. I get the bus to attend and drop hubby off for his appointments

My daughter usually has weekly hospital appointments first thing on a Monday, too early to use her bus pass. She's signed up for hospital transport but it never seems to be available, so I end up paying £30 for her train fare.

I should add that she is unable to work and lives on benefits.

If you are elderly or disabled your hospital should be able to arrange hospital transport to get you to your appointments. I think you need to phone the department of your appointment and explain that you cannot get there under your own steam . They should be able to provide an ambulance type minibus for your journey both there and back . Phone up and see .

Thisismyname1953

If you are elderly or disabled your hospital should be able to arrange hospital transport to get you to your appointments. I think you need to phone the department of your appointment and explain that you cannot get there under your own steam . They should be able to provide an ambulance type minibus for your journey both there and back . Phone up and see .

I live in a (Scottish) town with its own hospital for routine stuff (dire parking) and A&E department. For consultant appointments, scans etc the nearest hospital is 65.6 miles away. Hospital transport plus appointment time can take all day depending on who else needs to be picked up and from where. I don’t really understand why consultants can’t hold clinics in this town.

The Freeman hospital in Newcastle have the wonderful Daft as a Brush charity who provide transport for oncology patients. They collect from your home and transport the patient and a companion then wait to take them home.

In the French healthcare system a hospital referral includes a prescription for transport. This is provided by specialised taxi companies called ambulances much to the confusion of some British tourists . The drivers have extra training and wait to take patients home after their appointment. Many people choose not to use the service but it is a godsend for the elderly and those too sick to drive. The cost is covered in full if you have a serious illness or you pay or your insurance pays about 30% of the cost otherwise.

Our nearest hospital has A & E and is not too far away but needs to be accessed by car as the bus doesn’t go there from our small town. If we need to go up a level and go by car we can use a free Park and Ride. However, we are still mobile ATM so things would be trickier if we were not. Parking at the bigger hospital is very limited.

I'm a voluntary driver for a local charity taking people for appointments at hospitals etc. So far I haven't done many lifts as I'm not as widely available as some of the drivers but I've done some to the local hospital for a lady with a blue badge. I had to drop her at the main entrance - fortunately she was able to get in unaided - then queue for ages for a space to park. Thankfully I always managed to park and join her in the waiting room but it was very stressful. The last lift I gave was to a different hospital and I was pleasantly surprised to find the car park had plenty spaces and no charges at all! It seems these things vary a lot. When I've visited hospital for myself I've usually parked off site and walked in to avoid the exorbitant charges and crazy queues but that's only ok if you are fairly fit and well. At some hospitals all the surrounding roads have parking restrictions so it can be impossible. I really sympathise and hope I'm never in need of help in that way in future!

cc

My daughter usually has weekly hospital appointments first thing on a Monday, too early to use her bus pass. She's signed up for hospital transport but it never seems to be available, so I end up paying £30 for her train fare.

Can the appointments not be rescheduled to a time more convenient to your daughter? I find most departments very helpful with appointments. I never take one they offer me before 10.30am.
We used to have a Park & Ride hospital bus, designated for hospital appo9ntments and staff. people without a bus pass would pay £ 1.30 return and of course the parking was free. The stopped running it as funding stopped. Now we still have a park & ride, but they only run every 30 minutes, so you could have a long wait if you are a few minutes late for your bus due to traffic.
If you have a blue badge you get free parking but it has to be registered at the reception every 6 months or on-line and needs renewing every year. Very convenient.
My husband used to have weekly cancer treatment and they ran the Elf charity busses picking up patients for free but were of course always glad of a donation. They also had their own cafe, where food is free but a donation expected if you can. We are lucky.

I have to attend regularly [ at minimum every week weeks]. I have shortness of breath which severely restricts walking from a multistorey hospital carpark.
I recently applied for, and now receive attendance allowance of just over £100 per week.
I will be using this for taxis for appointments . It is non means tested and worth applying if you fit the age and illness criteria.

I see what you mean Monica you have to do what you think is best as regards dentists doctors etc hospitals when you move and they don’t always all fit in
If I needed a specialist hospital it would be in out nearest city a long old trip My friends recently had to have an op in Addenbrooks, now that was a trek
It a big old problem when you get older

Our nearest main hospital - NGH - is dreadful for parking.
I know of several people who have been stuck in the hospital carparks, searching for a space, for well over an hour and a half, and then getting a parking ticket despite there being no free spaces to actually 'park' in. OK, these were easily overturned on appeal, but it shows how bad it is
I am not exaggerating when I say that it iterally comes to blows sometimes when a space actually becomes free.
One of my sons missed an appointment there. He arrived 30 mins before the alloted appointment time, but was literally stuck in his car on the hospital grounds until after that time. The whole of the hospital was gridlocked, so it was impossible to leave and look for parking elsewhere.

On a recent visit there with my very elderly mother, we only made her appointment because two of us accompanied her - one to drive and drop us off (with her wheelchair) absolutely anywhere on the hospital grounds, and another to push her from there to the relevant department. By a stroke of luck, the dropping off was OK, but to get her back in the car at the end meant blocking traffic in the carpark until she and the wheelchair were safely on board!

I don't know what the answer is, but the current farce reduces already anxious people to tears.

I am trying to get my OH to move nearer to family. It is a conundrum. Our local Health Trust has been great for our needs so far. The Trust where family live is not so good. We have to drive to hospital as we are nearly a mile from a bus stop. Parking at the hospital is good. There is a drop off point and a 20 min waiting area by the main entrance. Some of the services are out sourced to health centres. OH had an ultrasound scan at a surgery , early evening when doctors surgery times had finished. The biggest problem here is the hospital pharmacy. When O H was discharged from hospital at 10.30 am , he actually arrived home at 12.pm midnight the following day due to waiting for medication.

Is it just that the hospital buildings are regularly sited where the original hospital was built 200 years ago?
The requirements of the hospital has sort-of taken over the site?

Our local hospital has Victorian buildings on what once would have been parkland. Now it has big buildings and multi-storey car parks filling up the plot and just a small area of trees.

When they were building a brand new children’s hospital in Oxford in the plan was a large underground car park.

The planners didn’t want more traffic on the site and said the park and ride service was adequate - no car parking was provided.

Obviously they gave no thought to how difficult it is on and off buses with sick children and wheelchairs.

When they were building a brand new children’s hospital in Oxford in the plan was a large underground car park.

This is what bugged me when our new hospital was built - they had a clean slate and could have installed an underground car park as the first action, especially as the hospital is in a built-up area with no parking nearby. Staff have the same problem every day. It is not just patients.

NotSpaghetti

Is it just that the hospital buildings are regularly sited where the original hospital was built 200 years ago?
The requirements of the hospital has sort-of taken over the site?

Our local hospital has Victorian buildings on what once would have been parkland. Now it has big buildings and multi-storey car parks filling up the plot and just a small area of trees.

Yes, I think that's a lot of the problem. Hospitals don't deliberately make accessing them difficult, but there's a limit to what they can do if there's little on-site available land and/or the hospital itself is located in a congested urban area. Not only that, but hospitals aren't responsible for bus routes and timetables or building new roads.

Luckygirl3

*When they were building a brand new children’s hospital in Oxford in the plan was a large underground car park.*

This is what bugged me when our new hospital was built - they had a clean slate and could have installed an underground car park as the first action, especially as the hospital is in a built-up area with no parking nearby. Staff have the same problem every day. It is not just patients.

What stopped them? Cost?

This is how I deal with these problems. 😊

Just forget the hospital car park completely.
a/ can't find a space
b/ too far to walk

If you have to come a long way then:
a/ park somewhere nearby and take a taxi together
b/ drop the patient at the entrance and park in a quiet area nearby until the patient phones.

Remember that hospitals often provide a Meet and Greet service and the patient can be wheeled from the entrance to the department.

If you don't live too far from the hospital then check whether there is a Volunteer Car Scheme where you can book a driver. I use that all the time now. The driver calls at your house 30 mins before the appointment, takes you there, even helps you walk in the door, then comes back and collects you when you phone them. Sometimes they go on other journeys, sometimes they wait for you. It's about half the price of a taxi because you only pay for the petrol.

They are cutting ambulances like they are cutting Physiotherapists. I had knee replacement on 3 December and first physio was 21st Jan, about 3 miles away - no transport, so I had to struggle the 1/3- 1/2 miles away on 2 crutches, get on and off the bus only to find it was a ‘mass’ physio session. One I couldn’t face as I didn’t feel safe with so many in the room with me. quoted next physio session was 8 March!! no
transport etc., Welcome to the NHS 2026

Quite honestly, it's been like that for some time. I wouldn't even expect hospital transport, unless I was critically ill. If I couldn't get a lift or drive myself, I would use a taxi.

I live on my own and transport to and from hospital has been an issue for some time. It's one of those things I have to prepare for, as I get older and less mobile.

Chestnut

This is how I deal with these problems. 😊

Just forget the hospital car park completely.
a/ can't find a space
b/ too far to walk

If you have to come a long way then:
a/ park somewhere nearby and take a taxi together
b/ drop the patient at the entrance and park in a quiet area nearby until the patient phones.

Remember that hospitals often provide a Meet and Greet service and the patient can be wheeled from the entrance to the department.

If you don't live too far from the hospital then check whether there is a Volunteer Car Scheme where you can book a driver. I use that all the time now. The driver calls at your house 30 mins before the appointment, takes you there, even helps you walk in the door, then comes back and collects you when you phone them. Sometimes they go on other journeys, sometimes they wait for you. It's about half the price of a taxi because you only pay for the petrol.

Good advice.