Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital plagued by parking problems

APPOINTMENTS are being abandoned because of an issue infuriating patients and carers at this Brisbane hospital, but it should come as no surprise - 10 years ago doctors warned it would happen.

21-year-old Tasha Robbins with 2-week-old Harry allows an hour to find a park at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital car park. Contact 0447125608. Pics Tara Croser.

FINDING a parking space at Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital has become virtually impossible with parents of sick children forced to abandon appointments and return home.

The “carpark full” sign often appears at the superhospital early in the day, leaving frustrated parents desperately searching for limited metered street parks.

Local residents are cashing in on the parking drought by advertising their carports and driveways for $200 a month or more.

HOSPITAL: ‘Stressed’ doctors losing their patience

The heavily clogged system was predicted by doctors a decade ago when then-premier Peter Beattie announced he was rolling the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Mater Children’s Hospital and the Prince Charles Hospital’s paediatric cardiac service into one big superhospital on the South Brisbane site.

Last night Queensland Health announced 200 staff will now park at South Bank to free up spaces for patients.

Children’s Health Queensland chief executive Fionnagh Dougan admitted patients have been complaining for some time about the “very busy precinct”.

The parking problems have plagued the hospital since its conception, with the Australian Medical Association accusing former premier Beattie of putting votes before planning.

“Who would build Queensland’s only children’s hospital in such a busy city location? Premier Beattie was warned there would be big problems with access, traffic and parking but he went on ahead without proper consultation,” said Zelle Hodge, who was the Australian Medical Association’s Queensland president at the time.

Currently parking facilities service five hospitals – the Mater Private, Mater Adults, Mater Mothers, the Mater Children’s Private and the LCCH.

Queensland Health says 200 hospital staff will now park at South Bank to free up spaces for patients.

There are 650 spaces in the Mater-owned carpark underneath the LCCH. With 288 beds at the facility plus day beds, outpatients and visitors, there is a steady flow of people coming and going.

Another carpark in nearby Hancock Street has 1530 spaces and 1583 are available at Mater Hill.

“The argument for this site at the time was that it was so close to public transport,” Ms Hodge said. “This theory gave no regard to parents of very sick children who cannot walk far,” Ms Hodge said.

South Brisbane is included in a massive urban development project with 50,000 apartments planned for the next few years. Already the population of the surrounding area has doubled in the last five years.

Tasha Robbins has two boys with regular medical needs and is constantly faced with the full sign.

“I have been there once every few weeks for the last 15 months and I have to drive around the streets looking for a metre. Without fail it will take at least an hour. I am always so stressed out that I will miss my specialist appointment as we have to wait six months to get another,” she said.

“If I do find a park I am usually there over the four-hour mark which costs me $28. I get no subsidy and it is a big expense.”

Mum Belinda Menzies says she doesn’t even try to get into the car park as the space does not fit her car that carries wheelchairs.