Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 7th July, 2017)

OMG ! I used to work there many years ago. It didn't have those glass canopies then.
Thank you for the memories Mick.

Only one problem there and it's a big one...car parking space and the one way system. But like many other hospitals, the doctors and nurses do a great job. Not to put Wigan hospital down in anyway, but Bolton hospital has got a great car parking space.

WOW...!!!!

That's something you don't see every day... " A parking space"

Bolton Hospital is a newly built hospital with modern car parking, Wigan is old and they have just made the best of the car parking space which is available to them.
Theres a good bus service so I dont know why more hospital visitors dont use them.

I think it's disgusting that Staff have to pay for parking!! Agree with Garry parking is better at Bolton.

Mick since we lost Billinge Hospital a few years ago, the work load has been put onto Wigan ie the maternity
unit. It's a fact!!

I suspect don't be ill Garry.

My husband worked in the NHS for 40 years.
For the last five years he only got a 1% pay rise and then they introduced car parking charges for staff - so - effectively a pay cut.

Other than Mick, would think of uploading a photo like this to Photo of the Day,

Then the first reply to it comes from a man on Vancouver Island at 00.38 why we are in bed

Yes Billinge did close but Wigan and Wrightington have been made bigger, and with more and better facilitys, its just the car parking that cant be made any bigger, but like Ive already said we have a good bus service.

Hey Dougie, why do you think that is.

Dougherty, it was still yesterdayinVancouver Island . They are about 8 hour,s behind us.

I don't know how much the fare is now, but quite a few years ago I was told the bus fare from the bus station up to the hospital was 80 pence, so Mick that is the reason why folks who don't have a bus pass don't use buses as it's cheaper to go by car and pay to park.

I suspect Mick's in Cuckoo land...again. Mick what about disabled people, who can't use the bus!

This is just one example of not using the bus service ( which is very good ) but not if you live in another town. My father died at the Infirmary. I stayed with him from 8 30 in the morning until aroun 6 00 in the evening for a week . It was only because of the kindness of the ward sister who made a small placard with her signature on it saying not to charge me parking fees as I was visiting a seriously ill patient. God knows how much it would have cost me. I'll never forget that. The reason Bolton has better parking facilities is because there was more land available around the hospital- but even so old buildings have been demolished to provide even more parking space.

It is not cheaper to go by car as you don't always know how long you will be there so have to keep feeding the meter. It is probably more convenient to go by car

Speaking of Vancouver Island, I wouldn't mind seeing a few photos of that place on here occasionally. Yes, I do realise that this would be a contravention of all that is considered holy, but I get to see Wigan infirmary every day, whereas I've never seen Vancouver Island, apart from on Google Earth that is. Perhaps the regulations could be relaxed a little and special dispensation given to Wigan expats to send the odd photo in occasionally. Every Sunday say. Or would that be too radical an idea? I think I know the answer already.

People who dont have cars or bus passes can walk and the disabled can always get lifts if they cant get there by there own steam.

So there is the question? I agree with Mick,
Land available, but also Veronica 's point on old buildings. Are we going to knock down buildings to create car parks? We cannot continue as a society to expect more but put in less. Let's build quality, not quantity, things that last. This micro wave oven I want
this now mentality greatly troubles me. When I am sick , I want to drive to the hospital, get a parking space, and then see a doctor. This does happen in the private paid
for world, but is just dream within NHS.

I had a similar experience Veronica. When my mother-in-law was critically ill and we were spending all day at the Infirmary, one of the nursing staff told us about the availability of free parking, bearing in mind our circumstances.

The parking situation seems to be the same everywhere. If you want a parking space, then you need to get there early, which then means you're taking up the parking space of someone with an earlier appointment, thus perpetuating the problem.

Wiganers are so lucky to have hospital facilities on the doorstep; where I live, the nearest hospital is 35 miles away, and specialised treatment means a 200 mile round trip to Cardiff.

After saying that, I'm deeply grateful for the NHS and for all its caring, hard-working staff.

Incidentally, and just for the record, Arriva currently charge £2.40 to travel from the bus station to the infirmary. The other outfit with the smaller buses charge £1.50 allegedly, although they only run one bus every hour as opposed to Arriva's four. The infirmary parking charges are as follows :- first half hour free. Up to 2 hours £2.50. 2 to 4 hours £4.50. 4 to 24 hours £6.00. These charges apply seven days a week including public holidays. They also apply to blue badge holders. Also, I don't think the staff can actually park there without a special permit or risk a £40.00 penalty. If however you just happen to belong to the travelling community and have a terminally ill family member, you can block off half of the car park with as many unlicensed, uninsured, motorhomes as you like for several weeks, day and night for free, and without fear of reprisals. Think I'm making it up? I've seen it happen.....More than once. Ask anyone who works there if you don't believe me.

Good post Ozy

No comparison to the RAEI to my days there late 60's to mid 70's

That's exactly what they did at Blackpool Victoria, knocked down a load of houses to create a multi story car park. No more driving round looking for a space and plenty of disabled parking too.

I go to Bolton hospital three times a month with my daughter ,the car park across from the main entrance awful and it's more expensive than Wigan we are always seen to a lot quicker than Bolton when we go to wigan.