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Surely a much better plan would be for hospitals to charge for all their services and those which do not make a profit, like in any good business, be discontinued.

Perhaps it is this type of market driven thinking of which this Blairite Tendency minister is thinking.

» This comment was received at 10:55 on 14 May 05

That would certainly save the country a lot of money, but it’s not the route I’d go down: Being the cuddly, naive, ideological thinker that I am, I want healthcare available for all, free at the point of use.

As for whether Hewitt’s intentions are to start charging for care… It’s clearly not something the government as a whole are opposed to, what with their continual increases in prescription charges, dental charges, and hospital car parking charges.

Going off at a tangent… One of the hospital’s with which I’m involved has a pay-and-display car park – If I’m having a medical emergency, am I really supposed to rush to the ticket machine, dig out some change, estimate how long my visit will take, get a ticket, take it to my car, all before seeking urgent medical attention? Surely it is much more sensible to have a system of paying on exit? Or do they just like having large amounts of cash from car-park fines?

» This comment was received at 11:27 on 14 May 05

“It’s clearly not something the government as a whole are opposed”

Exactly! Showing that this is definitely a New Tory government that has been elected, that intends to introduce Thatherite market reforms to the provision (not just delivery) of health services.

As to parking lot fees, if people can go by car to hospital, it must not be an emergency, otherwise they would have called the Brandweer paramedics out for a home pickup.

And if you can afford to buy a car, you should be able to pay for hospital treatment, and most certainly for the parking lot charge, otherwise you should be on the bus or in the ambulance.

» This comment was received at 14:23 on 15 May 05

If people can go by car to hospital, it must not be an emergency

A surprisingly high proportion of people who think they’re having a heart attack drive themselves to the hospital. Is this not an emergency? People are not as sensible as one might expect.

You should be able to pay… for the parking lot charge

‘Parking lot’ sounds rather more formal than the reality of a muddy field.

» This comment was received at 14:33 on 15 May 05

“the reality of a muddy field”

If the people are going to be dead after being admitted into hospital, then all concerned are not going to be worried about providing a quality parking environment.

Dead people don’t need no asphalt parking spaces.

» This comment was received at 17:53 on 15 May 05

But the relatives of the deceased would find the car not only in a puddle of mud, but also with a parking fine attached, as dead people are unable to feed the meter when their pay-and-display time comes to an end. The insensitivity of this leads me to maintain that it’s a bad system.

» This comment was received at 19:07 on 15 May 05

This post has been referenced by another on this site:
sjhoward.co.uk » Health and choice

[...] Pat ‘crazy lady‘ Hewitt tells us this will make waiting times fall.  Probably by about a month, I’d guess.  [...]

» This pingback was received at 22:17 on 03 January 06

This post has been referenced by another on this site:
sjhoward.co.uk » ‘Mad’ Patricia Hewitt strikes again

[...] Ms Hewitt’s spell of virtual insanity continues, with her now announcing that she wants to make those who spread MRSA criminals: Private cleaning contractors, managers and even visitors could face criminal liability for spreading the hospital superbug MRSA in the NHS. [...]

» This pingback was received at 12:01 on 09 March 06

This post has been referenced by another on this site:
sjhoward.co.uk » The trouble with Pat

[...] The Times’s Ann Treneman has successfully diagnosed the problem with our Health Secretary, Pat “crazy lady” Hewitt: PATRICIA HEWITT is suffering from a medical condition in which she says the opposite of what is true. Those close to the Health Secretary accept this and have learnt to cope. So when Pat says “the sun is shining” they know that, in fact, it is bucketing down and to take an umbrella. [...]

» This pingback was received at 12:10 on 09 March 06

Simon – if you’re at JCUH again, just park in the staff car park, or the patients/visitor one during the night / weekends. They don’t check for tickets. Seems so wrong, I’m certain the company running the car park (it isn’t the NHS btw, that’s why they won’t give students passes) has more than made its money back on that patch of gravel.

I do agree the parking charges are wrong, when my Grandad was dying, Dan and I drove up from Salisbury to Bolton and arrived at silly o’clock in the morning. The last thing I wanted to think about was finding change and thinking about how long I’d be there, so I didn’t. I just thought it was really rude of them to bleed money off people like that. Luckily we didn’t get clamped. But up to £5/day?! Its wrong, and I completely disagree that if you have a car you should be able to afford that. Round here, cars can be cheaper than public transport (which only seems to run 9-5), especially if there’s a few of you.

And as for those ‘patient line’ TVs/phones – daylight robbery!!! So so so wrong. And part of the deal is that wards can no longer have their own communal TV. Not to mention how much in the way they get, the number of times you nearly smack your head on them at the end of an examination, and the lack of hygeine control….grrrrr…..If I had my way, I’d rip them all out (except in paeds cos they’re free…)

» This comment was received at 12:31 on 01 April 07

I’ve parked in the staff car park a few times… But it’s the principle of the thing! And don’t get me started on the fact that they don’t own the car parks… Myopically selling them off for a quick buck doesn’t seem sensible to me!

» This comment was received at 12:59 on 01 April 07

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