John Wright Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 At the moment the tax payer subsidises or completely pays for public transport, "free car parking" and lots of other things. I agree health care ( including dentistry and prescriptions ) and education, even to degree level, should be free at point of delivery but when it comes to ancillary services, such as parking at hospitals, or airports, I don't understand why we think that they should be free and that we should all pay for them rather than users pay. We expect to pay for Sky TV, gas, electricity, phone etc on user pays and amount used or subscribed for basis. I don't see the difference with water, sewage, waste disposal, car parking. I can see the point in subsidising certain services to encourage use, transport, as an example, to keep cars off the road to assist congestion and environmental issues. I had an appointment at Nobles today, at fracture clinic, the main car park, and A&E carpark was full, the roads nearby were parked on, the Ward 20 carpark, etc were also full with people circling and waiting. I don't know how many cars in the car park are staff, or town workers blagging it, and my recovery is now such that I can walk. It must be frustrating for those with limited mobility and some roadways were so constricted a fire engine couldn't get through. I suggest that at Nobles there needs to be a staff carpark, around the back, with staff charged an economic fee, deducted from wages, and given tokens or an electronic car tag, (possibly earnings related) and that on road parking is banned and cars are removed and that patient parking and visitor parking is charged for with tickets validated or tokens or barcoded vouchers handed out to patients after clinic attendance. The town centre worker day parkers should be charged a high day rate that stops them using the hospital park and town centre parking charges should be increased as well. In exchange there should be proper park and ride facilities with more frequent commuter buses serving them and the parking fees should be used to subsidise those, and better public transport and amortise the car park construction costs. The private sector ( such as Tesco or Shoprite ) will need to be brought on board to stop their car parks being swamped, but barriers and charges and tokens if you spend more than a certain amount could deal with that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc.fixit Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I like the above. I still question the number of spaces available at the hospital though. There is a massive amount of unused space that could be utilised without causing any significant visual loss of greenery. Those wide, wide spaces on each side of the approach road for instance, herring bone parking each side there?? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 So who is supposed to pay to adopt the ground, undertake the 'civils', be responsible for maintenence, and generally manage the resource? Because NOTHING is free. Is the cost to come out of the NHS budget? Or from tax payers? And if tax payers local district or from government treasury collected taxes? Then the question must be addressed why should those people making use of the facility not pay to use it? In view of the desperate financial mes that the Manx economy is in even meeting the cost of the NHS to provide a service free at the point of use is becoming more than just problematic and the case for means tested charges really should be high on the NHS agenda with the provision of free car parking an absolute dead duck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilligaf Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 So who is supposed to pay to adopt the ground, undertake the 'civils', be responsible for maintenence, and generally manage the resource? Because NOTHING is free. Is the cost to come out of the NHS budget? Or from tax payers? And if tax payers local district or from government treasury collected taxes? Then the question must be addressed why should those people making use of the facility not pay to use it? In view of the desperate financial mes that the Manx economy is in even meeting the cost of the NHS to provide a service free at the point of use is becoming more than just problematic and the case for means tested charges really should be high on the NHS agenda with the provision of free car This post and JW's post #91 say it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Come to think of it, why stop at parking? What about charging for food as well? Why should people be entitled to free food just because they are in hospital? And how about charging for certain beds? Standard bed, bed with a view, sea-view, deluxe, en-suite etc? And why stop there? Ambulance charges?? Oh wait. They already do in America... In Wales they introduced car-parking charges at all hospitals at a massive expense and then shortly after decided to make it all free again. Just because they do it in England doesn't make it right. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 (edited) Why not charge for premium services? And why not have an a la carte menu with additional charges as an alternative to the normal menu. But what IMO WOULD be worthwhile would be to charge prisoners for their accommodation. Repayment could be achieved by modified tax codes on release, or by garnishing a portion of 'benefits' on their release. As for Wales ---- the utter mess that has been made of the NHS by the Socialists in the Welsh government has to be seen to be believed. Edited March 7, 2015 by spook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 How about, the more ill people are, the more they should pay. The really ill ones won't complain too much, plus while they're lying in hospital beds for weeks they aren't spending any money...so can all probably afford it. Old people are easily confused too...so they can be diddled out of twice what most people would pay. The old and the sick could really get us out of this financial mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Maybe a Manx version of UK NICE should be seriously considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Border Terrier Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I like the above. I still question the number of spaces available at the hospital though. There is a massive amount of unused space that could be utilised without causing any significant visual loss of greenery. Those wide, wide spaces on each side of the approach road for instance, herring bone parking each side there?? >I still question the number of spaces available at the hospital though. Doc there are plenty of spaces at Nobles. The overflow car parks at the footie pitches (SE of the helicopter pads) are always undersubscribed. I'd suggest staff using those; there's a bit of a walk at 300 yards or so, but some staff look like it would do them a power of good. This would leave the parking under the trees for visitors and out-patients who may well be glad of the access. Mrs TBT works up there and when I'm dropping off and picking up, it's disappointing to see the Disabled Bays being used indiscriminately. TBT. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc.fixit Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 thanks for that. I'm just aware there's a lot of grass up there. Sometimes I struggle from where I have to park, (I have a serious breathing prob.), so I am aware of most of the parking areas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Can't argue with Spook about the prison. Isn't there some story going around about putting the elderly into prison and the prisoners into nursing homes... There is already a Manx version of the UK NICE though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 (edited) Wasn't aware of that Horatio, and I wonder how many people are. The only dealings that I've had with medical services for a good number of years (thankfully) was shortly after moving here going base over apex on the stairs. I sustaining a broken leg and later an ear bashing from Mrs. Spook for being a careless old fool. After 40 years of marriage I guess she must know me by now! Edited March 8, 2015 by spook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horatio Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 It's called something like the clinical recommendations committee and makes decisions on all sorts of treatments similar to NICE. Watch out for those stairs Spook... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Tynwald are forming a N.I.C.E committee in 2016. No Income, Coffers Empty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2bees Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I like the charging prisoners idea too. I often consider some crime or other, the break would be maze', gym, food, reading time...punish me do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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