It’s really not a privilege to watch a loved one die
- Alison Colwell, head of Ebbsfleet Acdemy in Kent, who sent home pupils who breached the school uniform rule banning skirts that sit more than 2in (5cm) above the knee I HAVE to take exception to your correspondent Paul Routledge’s piece, with reference to Huddersfield’s hospital car parking charges.
As one of the so-called “privileged” many, I do not consider it a privilege to accompany (as I do) a terminally ill patient to hospital. I do not consider it a privilege to visit my terminally ill mother in hospital and it is certainly not a privilege to attend hospital for treatment, other than to be attended by exceptional medical staff.
It is a red herring to even suggest that the car parks would be filled with shoppers or commuters – there are very few other workplaces in the vicinity of The HRI and the nearest shops are at the Bay Horse roundabout and most of them are takeaways. Pure logic says that you would not park in the HRI car park and walk to the Bay Horse for your takeaway!
The topography of Huddersfield, with many hills and outof-the way places, suggests that many people need cars. I for one, at 72 years old and a little unsteady on my legs, would have great difficulty getting on and off four different buses. If the buses were full I would find difficulty standing on a moving vehicle for any length of time and I am sure I am not alone!
The solution is very simple; use the system the HRI used to use for disabled parking – have a ticket reader that validates parking tickets as it used to be in the reception area, then all bonafide visitors and patients could park free.
It should be very simple to issue all hospital staff with free parking permits.
I would suggest that your correspondent be less patronising and safely assume that if we have to visit hospital for any reason we are all deserving cases.
I sincerely hope that your correspondent does not have to be at hospital and watch a dear relative die, as I have done, then find a fiver for the car park!