Car parking charges at RAH would be cut under Liberal Government
HOSPITAL car parking fees would be cut would be cut for long-stay patients and their families and visitors under a $3 million state election pledge from the SA Liberals.
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HOSPITAL car parking fees would be cut for long-stay patients and their families and visitors under a $3 million state election pledge from the SA Liberals.
The Advertiser can reveal the Liberals will today promise to cut the cost of a week-long pass at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital from $65 to $38, the rate charged at comparable sites. They estimate that move alone will cost about $1 million, and a review of car parking costs at hospitals across the state would be launched if they form government.
Hospital car parking was a major issue for Premier Jay Weatherill when he became Labor leader in 2011, and one of his first changes as boss was to junk privatisation plans.
Opposition health spokesman Stephen Wade said that it was too costly and impractical to introduce free parking at all hospitals, but the Liberals would target disadvantaged groups.
He said taxpayers were already stumping up huge amounts of money to build infrastructure including the new RAH and were now being “fleeced” by parking charges.
“The cost of car parking at Adelaide’s metropolitan hospitals is a significant financial burden on many patients, carers and relatives at what is often a very difficult time,” Mr Wade said. “The high cost of car parking at our hospitals adds unnecessary stress.”
Mr Wade said many people were also unaware of existing arrangements at hospitals that allowed them to get cheaper weekly rates, rather than daily.
He said the Liberals would ensure the ability to access existing long-term-stay discounts were widely advertised.
“Affordable car parking fees will help ease the financial and emotional strain of people attending hospitals as patients, carers or visitors,” he said.
“Trying to complete a hospital visit within a strict time frame can interfere with a person’s capacity to support a loved one.”
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Mr Wade said the post-election review would offer a further $2 million in parking relief and prioritise help for parents of children in hospital, relatives of long-stay patients, family of palliative care patients and frequent outpatients.
He said offering across-the-board cuts to hospital parking fees risked creating logjams.
“We need to be responsible, and make sure that the money we are putting in has maximum impact. We are particularly concerned about these client groups.
“It’s affordable to provide them immediate relief from a grotesque increase in charges at the RAH.”
Policy police
What: Cutting hospital car parking fees for long-stay patients and their families.
How: $1m to cut weekly RAH pass by $27. $2m for other hospitals.
Pub test: Voters don’t know discounts for other hospitals.
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