Patients' group seeks hospital parking review

The Irish Patients Association (IPA) has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to introduce a single charging policy for…

The Irish Patients Association (IPA) has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to introduce a single charging policy for car parks in hospitals across the State.

According to a survey conducted by the IPA there is a discrepancy between hospitals nationwide, with some charging up to €2.20 an hour for parking while others charged nothing.

The IPA called for a patient-friendly charging regime and even suggested that medical card patients not be charged.

In a statement released today the IPA said: "While there may be genuine concerns about the abuse of parking spaces by commuter spongers in the Dublin region, cost effective innovation can overcome such challenges.

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"Further to this the cost of parking in our hospitals should not be driven by local authority parking charges which is a form of taxation and incentive to use public transport.

"Patients should not be penalised through parking charges" the statement continued adding that a visitor shouldn't feel the need to depart from a patient "to race the clock to save the next hourly charge".

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy is Digital Production Editor of The Irish Times