I have a guilty secret - I enjoy a little ticket swapping too – both giving and receiving and not only in the hospital – I’ve even indulged in a bit of swapping in other pay & display car parks too. There’s many of us out there.

As far as the hospital is concerned, I completely agree that £1 for 4 hours is nothing – therefore I don’t do it in the hope that I’m helping someone less fortunate – and indeed, whilst I can afford to pay the money I’m more than happy to take one when offered. But for me, it’s simply about not wanting to see a perfectly useable ticket go to waste.

I’ve never seen this as “fiddling” the NHS out of much needed funds – I’ve always understood the car park is managed by an outside contractor, therefore I doubt that much of that £1 actually ends up with the NHS and benefits patient care – however if anyone can prove otherwise I’ll gladly stop doing it.

But in the meantime, I shall continue with my swapping habit and not waste time questioning my own morality when we daily hear stories of high earners rewarding themselves with big fat bonuses, avoiding taxes and being creative with expense claims – perhaps they should set us all a better example.

I have a guilty secret - I enjoy a little ticket swapping too – both giving and receiving and not only in the hospital – I’ve even indulged in a bit of swapping in other pay & display car parks too. There’s many of us out there.

As far as the hospital is concerned, I completely agree that £1 for 4 hours is nothing – therefore I don’t do it in the hope that I’m helping someone less fortunate – and indeed, whilst I can afford to pay the money I’m more than happy to take one when offered. But for me, it’s simply about not wanting to see a perfectly useable ticket go to waste.

I’ve never seen this as “fiddling” the NHS out of much needed funds – I’ve always understood the car park is managed by an outside contractor, therefore I doubt that much of that £1 actually ends up with the NHS and benefits patient care – however if anyone can prove otherwise I’ll gladly stop doing it.

But in the meantime, I shall continue with my swapping habit and not waste time questioning my own morality when we daily hear stories of high earners rewarding themselves with big fat bonuses, avoiding taxes and being creative with expense claims – perhaps they should set us all a better example.

Apologies for the multiple posts - slight technical hitch!

Jacklets, what you say about contracted out might be true, but if people wanted free hospital parking, then it is likely it would come out of the health budget.

Yes, if you have to be a regular visitor to RBH then it does add up. However, I have seen much higher fees at some other hospitals. Newbury CH is very cheap for parking.

In some town-centre car parks, I have seen that part of the registration number of the vehicle has to be entered at the ticket machine and it is printed on the ticket...

It's the slippery slope to a life of crime..... Ticket-swapping is a 'gateway crime'. You'll be robbing cars from that car park before you can say "Give us a quid...."

That is true; I've already started robbing banks.

Then why do they bother to charge it??

It might be to dissuade people from abusing the space.

How else will they pay for the maintenance of the ticket machines?

On my infrequent visits to Newbury Hospital, I have to confess I never pay for parking. Several times, the machines have been taped up

It is a private car park run by a private contractor so any 'fines' are simply unenforceable.

But Jacklets said that it was "nothing", clearly it is not!

What is nothing?

Do they clamp?

Who pays for the car parking at Tesco, Sainsbury's, B&Q, Homebase, My doctor's surgery, etc.?
What would you say if they started charging £1 (or as some would say "nothing") per visit?

My guess would be the shops mentioned.


I don't know who, or where that is.

Precisely.

Irrelevant - do any charge?

I don't see what you are getting at; but in fact they do.


It is relevant; is it private or public? Northcroft, for instance, doesn't have a 'customer' car park.

They pay for their car parks so why can't a hospital?
After all who pays in the end? The customer.
And you have a choice whether you use them as well - or is that the point? Hospitals have a captive clientèle, you have no choice.

OK Falkland, Monks Lane.
Owned by the surgery (NHS) and free.

And who finances the hospitals?


So you think that hospitals are charging for spiteful reasons?


And who finances the hospitals? Also, I believe there are other concerns up there, like a private chemist. There also isn't much space up there, and is often pestered by cars picking pupils up from school.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.