Government announces hospital parking relief, but Lady Cilento concerns remain

Car parking is set to become cheaper at Queensland hospitals, with the state government committing $7.5 million to provide additional free and discounted spaces at the state's public hospitals.

But there would be no immediate respite for parents and carers, who launched a public campaign against the "prohibitive" parking costs at the Lady Cilento Hospital, Health Minister Cameron Dick said on Sunday.

Almost 8000 people signed a petition asking Mr Dick and Mater Health Services to reduce parking costs at Queensland's only dedicated children's hospital.

Mr Dick said work would start immediately to prepare a business case for a solution at the South Brisbane facility, but warned there was no quick or easy fix.

That work was expected to take about a year.

"This will be very challenging work, as there are no easy or immediate answers to increasing car parking at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital precinct or in the immediate vicinity of the hospital," Mr Dick said.

"The area around the hospital is heavily and extensively developed.

"Potential infrastructure options could be prohibitively expensive, but I have asked Queensland Health to work with the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital on potential options to see what can be achieved."

Elsewhere, though, Mr Dick said the state government would make an additional 100,000 free and discounted car spaces available at its hospitals across Queensland.

"I know the cost of car parking is a real concern for many patients, carers and their families," he said.

"That's why the state government has developed a four-point plan to help improve access to car parking at public hospitals in Queensland.

"...Increasing the number of concessional car parking spaces means that many more people and families in need will have access to accessible and affordable car parking.

"This will mean a little less stress for patients and their families, especially those who find themselves burdened financially by the costs of car parking."

The government's four-point plan was to:

1. develop car park concession policies for all Hospital and Health Services with paid parking;
2. increase the number of concessional car parks available at Queensland public hospitals;
3. continued government involvement in the development of future hospital car parks; and
4. consider car parking options for the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.

As a minimum, Mr Dick said, car parking concessions would be made available to eligible patients and carers in the following categories:

• patients and carers experiencing financial hardship (which may include government concession card holders);
• patients and carers who need to attend hospital for an extended period of time;
• patients and carers who are required to attend hospital frequently; and
• patients and carers with special needs who require assistance.

"It might involve, for example, providing discounted parking one day a week over a specific period, or a free one-off park, cheaper parking over the course of a week, or a combination of measures," Mr Dick said.

"I want to ensure we provide greater consistency in how we deliver car parking concessions across Queensland, particularly how we communicate the availability of those concessions to patients, their family members and carers," Mr Dick said.

Mr Dick said the additional discounted car parking spaces would be available from October 1.

As for new car parks, Mr Dick said the government's preferred approach was to develop a government portfolio model, which would be financed by the Queensland Treasury Corporation.

"Private public partnerships will be retained as an option for circumstances where it can deliver a better outcome, for example, when we are developing a large greenfield hospital site," he said.

"Whether they are subject to public private partnership arrangements or are part of a government-owned portfolio, all future car park proposals will be required to factor in the provision of concessional parking as part of their business planning."

Health Consumers Queensland chief executive Melissa Fox said the cost of parking at hospitals could be a "significant and unexpected out-of- pocket expense" for patients and their families.

"This is particularly the case where the need to visit a hospital is frequent and for several hours at a time," she said.

"Anything that makes concessions to patients and visitors more available can only ease that burden at what can be an emotionally difficult time for any family."