Campbelltown Hospital: staff to be charged $1050 a year to park at work

Staff at this western Sydney Hospital are about to be slugged more than $1000 a year — to park at work. SEE WHY THEY SAY IT WILL BE UNSAFE HERE.

Debora, Sue and Greg at the Macarthur Clinical School adjacent to Campbelltown Hospital. Picture: Supplied.

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Staff at a Sydney hospital are about to be slugged more than $1000 a year to park their cars at work — while they fight to save lives.

Campbelltown Hospital staff have been dreading the day paid parking is enforced at their western Sydney hosital, with NSW Health withholding the exact date the new fees are set to be rolled in.

An overview of the $632 million Campbelltown hospital redevelopment.

Nurse, doctors and other hospital staff will be forced to fork out $21 a week to park in the newly opened multi-level parking structure.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Macarthur branch president Debora Wallace said the impact the paid parking and public servant wage freeze will see a major financial impact.

Ms Wallace said the paid parking would result in more staff using limited public transport to access the hospital, which can be unsafe at night.

“There are not a lot of direct bus routes into the hospital and there are only so many per day,” she said. “With nurses working at night, if they finish at 10pm there is no guarantee they will get out in time so all of a sudden they miss their 10.10pm bus service.”

Greg Warren hit out over the decision to install paid parking for staff.

shaddow Western Sydney spokesman Greg Warren hit out at NSW Health’s decision to introduce paid parking to the hospital precinct.

“There are three certainties in life: taxes, death and this government’s eagerness to introduce paid parking at Campbelltown Hospital,” he said.

“While it hasn’t started yet, the introduction of paid parking is imminent.

“My position on this issue has been crystal clear – I have never, and will never, support slugging patients, their loved ones and staff to park their vehicles at Campbelltown Hospital.”

THE GREAT DIVIDE — SOUTH WEST SYDNEY’S HEALTH CRISIS

Part One: south west patients funded $800 less per person than Sydney residents

Part Two: south west patients forced to travel hours for treatment

Part Three: leaders are calling for a new hospital at Aerotropolis

Part Four: 24,000 new medical students needed to fight west’s growth

Part Five: Patients waiting 300 days for surgery in south west Sydney

Part Six: south west teens shock youth suicide numbers as specialist staff numbers revealed

Part Seven: Claims health department removed beds from state’s busiest EDs

Part Eight: Where mini-metro hospitals will be built across Sydney

Part Nine: Kids enduring 18-month wait times for paediatric services

Part Ten: Hospital staff reveal hospital horror stories in calls for funding

Part Eleven: ‘Young doctors committing suicide over workloads’, inquiry hears

Part Twelve: NSW Government delisted land earmarked for western Sydney hospital

Mr Warren confirmed staff would be slugged $1050 a year, labelling the paid parking move a “fiasco” for hospital employees.

“When you combine that with the NSW Liberals planned public sector wage freeze, staff at the hospital would actually take home less pay each week,” he said.

“What a disgusting way to treat those workers who have stood valiantly on the front line in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Campbelltown Hospital’s multi-level parking structure. Supplied

A South West Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman told NewsLocal the government had provided free car parking for health staff at hospitals across the country in response to COVID-19.

“As there is no date set for the introduction of paid parking at the hospital, staff parking payments have not commenced,” she said.

“Future car parking fees will be implemented in line with NSW Health policies and guidelines.”

Parking fees are also charged to staff at Liverpool, Bankstown-Lidcombe and Fairfield Hospitals. And a new $34.1 million multi-level car park was completed at Campbelltown in early 2020, resulting in 800 additional parking spaces.