Gold Coast University Hospital parking: Staff, patients, struggle to find spaces

Medical staff have been turning up to work late and stressed at Gold Coast University Hospital due to chaos at its car park.

MEDICAL staff have been turning up to work late and stressed at Gold Coast University Hospital due to chaos at its car park.

Insiders said the car park was “a joke”, with workers who pay more than $80 a fortnight for guaranteed spaces unable to find somewhere to leave their cars during heavy rain last week.

Employees told the Bulletin that cars were stopped at the entrance to the staff car park, with a “one in, one out” system in operation.

“Rainy days are really terrible for parking,” one staffer said.

“I pay every fortnight for me to have a guaranteed car park.

“But they actually had the boom gate down last week and were doing one out one in.

“I always allow 15 minutes to get a car park, and to wait in the traffic that snakes around the avenue into the hospital. But I was late for work.

“There should always be a car park. For there not to be a single one, that was just ridiculous.”

The employee, who asked not to be named, said staff were also regularly getting caught in traffic as drivers waited their turn to get into the public car park.

They said the issue was causing frustration among busy medical staff.

“Staff are often late because they can’t get their car park which then causes stress on the unit because they’ve got things to do before they go off shift, they’ve got to do handover,” the staffer said.

“There’s so many things you’ve got to do before your end of shift.

“We don’t stick to timetables 100% but there are times in the day that are specific for handovers, that are time sensitive, and when you’re stuck in a line of traffic or driving around a full car park when you’re supposed to have a guaranteed park, before you even walk in the door you’re cranky.

“It’s not a good start to a shift, especially when we’ve got to be so people-focused.

“... You’ve got to put on a bright sunny smile and problem solve. It’s hard to be that person when you’ve just had the worst possible start to your shift.”

The staffer said the situation at the 2200-space public car park was even worse, with patients sometimes abandoning appointments after giving up on finding a space.

Lawyer Bruce Simmonds, from Broadbeach firm Parker Simmonds Solicitors & Lawyers, said elderly patients he represents had struggled with parking issues at the hospital.

Mr Simmonds said the Covid-19 pandemic had added to pressure on the car park, with many of his clients afraid to use public transport.

“They’re terrified going outside because of coronavirus,” he said. “They often rely on family and friends to drive them.”

Mr Simmonds said the cost of parking was also a huge issue for elderly patients, many of whom were on limited incomes. He said there should be significant discounts for people with regular appointments.

Both the public and staff car parks at Gold Coast University Hospital are operated by Secure Parking under a 30-year contract with the state government.

Health workers pay from $33.57 per fortnight (four days) up to $83.93 per fortnight (full time) by salary sacrifice to access the staff car park.

The Bulletin asked if Health Minister Yvette D’Ath was concerned by the impact on staff of parking issues at the hospital, and if the government had any plans to expand capacity.

Ms D’Ath’s office declined to comment, instead directing questions to Gold Coast Health, who said the car park “operates at capacity” during wet weather.

“Occasionally, the undercover carpark at Gold Coast University Hospital operates at capacity,” a Gold Coast Health spokesperson said.

“This can be exacerbated during wet weather events when commuters who would usually use other transport options instead drive and require parking in the undercover carpark.

“Staff and visitors should allow extra time to find parking during wet weather and peak times.”

Traffic on Parklands Drive waiting to turn onto Hospital Boulevard on Tuesday, November 7 2021. Picture: Keith Woods.

The Bulletin visited the hospital on Tuesday, when weather conditions were good. The main car park was full, with vehicles forced to wait their turn to enter. A limited numbers of spaces remained in the dedicated staff car park.

Shadow Health Minister and Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates said the state government needed to intervene and “look after” frontline health workers.

“They are the ones who are the face of not only the Covid response, but of healthcare on the Gold Coast,” Ms Bates said.

“This goes back to when the Labor government privatised the car parks. It’s been an ongoing problem at Gold Coast University Hospital. People who pay for a car park are missing out.

“We need to make sure there is provision for those staff coming off and on duty so that they’re not sitting there for 40 minutes and they’re not late for a shift.”

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Originally published as Gold Coast University Hospital parking: Staff, patients, struggle to find spaces