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HSE ordered to carry out review of car parking charges at hospitals

The Irish Cancer Society had been calling on hospitals to waive fees for people undergoing long term treatment.

MINISTER FOR HEALTH Simon Harris has ordered a national review of hospital car parking charges.

The announcement this morning follows scrutiny around the amount of money hospitals are earning by charging patients and visiting family members for parking.

Public hospitals have collected almost €13 million in a year in parking charges, with maximum charges for a full day of parking ranging from €3 to €15.

There are currently no national guidelines governing charges for parking at Irish hospitals and the Irish Cancer Society has been calling on them to waive parking fees for people undergoing cancer treatment.

In a statement this morning, Harris said he knows some hospitals do take into account the pressure these charges can put on patients and families who are dealing with illnesses and have measures in place to alleviate this pressure.

“However, I want to make sure that we have national guidelines in place to inform practice in hospital parking charges around the country,” he said. He has asked the HSE to carry out a review, with the aim of establishing clear guidelines for the first time.

“I have asked the HSE to engage with the Irish Cancer Society and other patient advocacy groups, in order to ensure that the review takes account of the circumstances of patients, particularly those who require long-term care,” he said.

“This review will examine existing arrangements within hospitals, the financial impact of parking charges on patients and families, the data in relation to the income generated from these charges, and any other factors.”

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    Mute Shane Gleeson
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    Mar 16th 2018, 6:38 AM

    No need for a review to do the obvious thing.

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    Mute Father Hody Commody
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:43 AM

    @Shane Gleeson: No mention of what the hospitals are using the funds for. Top ups for private consultants etc.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:48 AM

    @Father Hody Commody:

    Or maybe they are using the funds to pay for life saving equipment

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    Mute Ian Kavanagh
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:59 AM

    @Nick Allen: yes. Everyone knows it’s donations and funds from the sweet shop that are used to top up those wages … not of the low paid of course, just those at the top.all approved by the HSE and FFG of course.

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    Mute Jen M
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    Mar 16th 2018, 8:16 AM

    @Nick Allen: don’t be so naive

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    Mute Elizabeth Gregory
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    Mar 16th 2018, 11:23 AM

    @Father Hody Commody: @Father Hody Commody in most cases the car parks are privately owned and are profit based businesses. The hospitals don’t get a cent….the money goes to shareholders in the company. It’s so disgusting to see the rich capitalising on the sickness and illness of others.

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:10 AM

    why stop at Cancer patients! Why has anyone to pay if they have an appointment? Why should anyone who has to travell many miles by car ( do i have to state why)have to pay or anyone who comes to the appointment on time but is left siting for many hours waiting because the consultant hasn’t even come down from the wards or even into the hospital yet? Yes there are many reason why lots of people shouldn’t have to pay but at the end of the day, it’s money straight into the hospital to benefit those patients, isn’t it?

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Mar 16th 2018, 12:36 PM

    @Missyb211: I don’t know about that. Everyone would be parking there and going off to do their shopping. I do think patients with long term conditions who have to make repeated hospital trips should get a parking exemption. Disabled parking is free in most hospitals but those with long term conditions or illness are charged.

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Mar 16th 2018, 8:03 PM

    @Catherine Sims: head off shopping? i suppose it depends where the hospital is situated I stick with my point!

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    Mute Donal Hanley
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    Mar 16th 2018, 6:24 AM

    Bloody right and about time.

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    Mute Sandra Whelehan
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    Mar 16th 2018, 8:59 AM

    The problem is if the hospitals lower prices or offer free parking, people will use the facility as a public car park. The likes of james street, the mater and hub hospitals will be used by people heading off to work in the city or off for a days shopping. Most hospitals offer cheap parking for up to 5hrs. It is still an expense if you have to visit everyday. But a system where you get a ticket validated after visiting or an appointment for a certain number of hours would be ideal. Free parking just wouldnt work. Actual patients would not be able to find parking spaces from all the freeloaders.

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    Mute Richard Day
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    Mar 16th 2018, 2:08 PM

    @Sandra Whelehan: then put up a barrier system and have hospital security validate the tickets. Works elsewhere. Should eliminate most of rhe casual non hospital visitors parking

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    Mute Link
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    Mar 16th 2018, 3:46 PM

    @Richard Day: So add the extra expense of an (in some cases 24 hour) extra member staff member, while eliminating a stream of revenue? Where will the shortfall be sourced?

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    Mute Patrick Kielthy
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:24 AM

    Are hospital car parks privately run for profit?

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    Mute Father Hody Commody
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:45 AM

    @Patrick Kielthy: Of course they are. But the hospitals also get a cut, for profit. Hospital land.

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    Mute John Smith
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:21 AM

    Lol. They will probally end up increasing the rates

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Mar 16th 2018, 11:02 AM

    I had an elderly cancer patient who’s husband would drop her off and then drive to a pub car park and then walk back to the hospital (about 15 mins) every day of her treatment because they couldn’t afford the car park on their pension. He wasn’t too well himself. It’s an absolute disgrace.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Mar 16th 2018, 12:34 PM

    @Deborah Behan: There is help available for things like parking through the CWOs. I bet there are other ways too. It’s really not right as you say this poor couple were put to those measures.

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    Mute Maire
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    Mar 16th 2018, 8:55 AM

    Should be Free, after all the Taxpayer, US, that paid for them in the first place!

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    Mute Dazz
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    Mar 16th 2018, 10:22 AM

    You should get your parking validated for A&E and anything over 2 hours (or something) for an appointment. It’s not our fault it takes so long to get anything done in our hospitals.

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    Mute John Hagin Meade
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    Mar 16th 2018, 10:58 AM

    Hospitals are a public service paid for by the tax paying public and should not be allowed to charge for parking. To avoid anyone leaving their car at a hospital all day for free while going shopping or to work a ticket validating procedure could be adopted just as is done by hotels for it’s guests. In many shopping centers a ticket validating system is used to give free parking to customers who buy goods from the shops above a certain value.

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    Mute Paul Murphy
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    Mar 16th 2018, 11:52 AM

    I work in St. Luke’s hospital in Kilkenny. Oncology or Cancer Patients are not charged for their parking. Our car parking fee is a four euro per day flat charge with free multiple entry on a single on production of a paid ticket …..cheap in comparison to other locations. A large portion of the income actually goes to pay for the up keep of the equipment associated with the car park. Paystations barriers etc.

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    Mute Me_a_monkey
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:12 AM

    Ha ha, that’ll wipe out the 150 million they’ve just assigned towards more staff!

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    Mute Patrick Kielthy
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:19 AM

    Are car parks ruin by private firms?

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    Mute Patrick Kielthy
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:21 AM

    Are car parks privately run?

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Mar 16th 2018, 7:52 AM

    @Me_a_monkey:

    At 13m gross pa it will take a long time to wipe out 150m

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    Mute William Mcgee
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    Mar 16th 2018, 12:32 PM

    Attending an outpatient appointment , waiting 2/3 hours before been called , because they send out the times of appointments to a lot of patients all for the same time .

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    Mute Tom Harpur
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    Mar 16th 2018, 9:47 AM

    His review will seek to increase the hourly rate of parking per hour to €5 and a daily rate of €20. This will help plug the gap in the HSE budget.

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    Mute Aengus O'Connor
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    Mar 16th 2018, 1:28 PM

    13million collected. 4.773 million people in Ireland. About €2.72 per head of population. I am sure not too many people would have objections that people with recurring illness/treatment and family members get parking fees waived

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Mar 16th 2018, 12:32 PM

    I don’t think UCH charge cancer patients for parking either. There is a separate car park for them. Actually if your child is in the children’s ward you aren’t charged for parking either.
    There are also ways cancer patients or other serious long term illnesses can get help with funding for things like parking and extra expenses . The old CWOs used to.help out but a list of the ways on how to get help with funding would be useful.

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    Mute Steven Fitzpatrick
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    Mar 16th 2018, 3:39 PM

    Don’t you just love paying to leave a piece of metal on land you apparently own (all citizens of Ireland) as to cover the cost of …. eh, some private company. In a few years we’ll have to pay if you stand around the town too long. Keep moving ye fecker, or I’ll charge ye. How mental are we to accept parking fees.

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Mar 16th 2018, 6:53 PM

    Use barriers and issued tokens to genuine visitors and patients before leaving.

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    Mute Adrian Blyth
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    Mar 16th 2018, 8:27 AM

    No parking charges in the two Angouleme hospitals!

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