Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

I can't believe London Health Sciences (here in Ontario, Canada) is so cash-strapped that they have to charge full parking fees for clergy who visit to comfort the dying.

Not trying to start another debate on religion.... but this is a petty act that will result in meagre impact on the budget and a larger impact on public opinion. I'm not religious but I know full well the value of her faith on my mother's well-being, and I respect the fact that visits from her parish priest will be much appreciated when the time comes.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

You could argue this case if other people who comfort the sick get similar benefits but if it is just bringing clergy in line with other hospital visitors then it seems fair to me.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

I think that charging for parking for day patients or visitors is a disgrace.
This practice has been scrapped in Scotland (with a very few exceptions).
When it was in force, I think it was £1 all day.
I'm sure that some sort of token system could be used. It wouldn't have worked here though - the NHS admin people here in Aberdeenshire couldn't organise a p**s up in a brewery.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

According to last Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, neither could David Cameron.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

I like that idea even better. Issue a parking pass for immediate family and significant others.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

When my mother was undergoing surgery for cancer in Maine, I was very impressed that the parking charges were waived for me to visit her. It was apparently the norm for people on certain cancer wards. Whereas here, as a cancer patient, I had to pay huge sums for parking for each clinic appointment. Well done, Scotland, for moving forward on this.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

When I was having treament for cancer I had to pay 12 pounds a day for the parking ...it was a disgrace. friends who came to cheer me up also had to pay... and it made me feel terrible

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

The breast cancer clinic in Aberdeen used to charge £1 for all day parking,
but with the exception of some 'PFI' run hospitals, parking charges were abolished in 2009. For a period before that, they were capped at £3 / day.

We also enjoy free prescriptions and free eye tests - as well as no bridge tolls and few parking charges except in city centres.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

I'm astounded that people have to pay to park in a hospital car park! The problem we have is workers who use the hospital car parks and then get the bus into Douglas to go to work - that's where I think a token system would work and put a stop to them doing that as parking sometimes is difficult and you end up parking in another area of the hospital's allotted spaces. I know the Hospital gets complaints about it and it worries me that they might go down the charging for parking route if those people keep using it as a free car park for all and sundry to use.

Re: Hospital revokes parking passes for clergy

Nurses at our local hospital, have to pay to park whilst they work, I can't see anything wrong in charging the clergy.
Our hospitals have a chapel and a chaplain that can be reached when required.