Cork hospital parking charges cost patients and visitors €2.6m in 2010

PATIENTS and their families are being forced to pay almost €2.6 million in car park fees every year — the equivalent of €7,100 a day — at one of the country’s largest hospitals.

The annual gross income for hospital parking charges in 2010 showed that Cork University Hospital had the highest income at €2.6 million, followed by Waterford Regional Hospital at €1,390,803, Galway University Hospital €947,365, and Kerry General Hospital €858,391.

The figures revealed last night on RTÉ’s The Consumer Show also showed high parking charges at MRH Limerick, Connolly Hospital, Beaumont and Wexford General Hospital.

In 47 hospitals surveyed on hourly charges, the first hour was generally the most expensive, with the hourly rate decreasing thereafter.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda charges €4 for the first hour, more than Brown Thomas in Dublin.

Each hospital is free to set its own charging structure, which sees rates varying widely around the country.

Some country hospitals offer free parking, others have daily rates from €2, while most hospitals in larger centres charge in double figures.

The HSE currently has no clear policy on who should be eligible for free parking or concessions.

Economist Eddie Hobbs said, “It is obscene that elderly people visiting spouses in hospital are spending up to €60 a week of their old age pension on parking charges. It is disgraceful behaviour and no one seems to be willing to do anything, the HSE say it’s not their area while the Health Department say it’s not policy.”

In June 2008 the Department of Health in the North issued a ‘Guidance for Hospital Car Parking Provision and Management’, in response to a similar problem.

It allows individual hospitals to set their own charges, set out the types of visitors eligible for free parking and that all those entitled to concessions receive them. The policy has successfully been introduced throughout the North.

According to Mr Hobbs, “The solution is so simple but no one seems to care. We simply need to copy the template from Northern Ireland. They had the same problem in the North but the template now clearly outlines their policy and it solved the parking issue.”

The HSE’s National Hospitals office said charges have been decided by individual hospitals and this is influenced by various factors including commuter areas, land availability and its geographic location.

Parking fees

TOP five hospitals in terms of car park income in 2010 (gross):

- Cork University Hospital — €2.6m

- Waterford Regional Hospital — €1,390,803

- Galway University Hospital — €947,365

- Kerry General Hospital — €858,391

- MRH Limerick — €761,065