Hospital parking: Time to put patients first

It is hard enough to cope with the worry of having a sick family member or loved one in hospital without the added stress of exorbitant car parking charges while visiting.

Over €19m in parking charges was generated by hospitals last year and some of those charges may be warranted. However, families of seriously ill and long-stay patients pay far more than their fair share. It isn’t just visitors who are overburdened, either.

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy will often need to make frequent trips to hospital and are forced to pay unfair charges while receiving vital, lifesaving treatments.