HSE asked to review 'punishing' charges for UHG car park
From the Galway City Tribune - The HSE will be asked at a health authority meeting next month to review “punishing” parking charges at University Hospital Galway.
The carpark generated €657,000 in parking charges last year, leading to fresh calls for reduced rates and a ‘swipe card’ system for regular visitors.
Regional Health Forum member Cllr John Connolly told the Galway City Tribune that there has to be an overall look at the charging system, as he believed the public are being unfairly punished.
He suggested that a swipe card system be put in place for those who have no choice but to use the car park on a regular basis while visiting a long-term sick relative.
The Fianna Fáil councillor said that there are people who may have sick relatives in the hospital for a couple of weeks that have to pay the full cost of car parking on a daily basis.
Cllr Connolly suggested that a swipe card system be put in place that would ensure that those visiting the hospital on a regular basis would not have to bear the full cost each day. “It can be punishing,” he remarked.
At the moment, parking costs €9 per day, or €10 for a 24-hour ‘multi-entry’ pass. A seven-day multi-entry pass is available for €30.
Hospitals across the country took in more €5 million in car parking charges with UHG generating the second-highest revenues.
Cllr Connolly will raise the matter at the next Regional Health Forum, as he believed that not alone are the charges too high, but that members of the public who have no choice but to visit the hospital are being unfairly penalised.
“First of all, the charges are too high but as well as that, those who have to visit sick relatives on a daily basis should not have to pay the full amount on each occasion the arrive at the hospital.
“There should be a swipe card system in place that would ensure that visitors to the hospital on a regular basis are not charged the full amount.
“There are outpatients who have to visit the hospital on a regular basis and they too should not be punished for this in terms of what they have to pay,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cllr Connolly is putting down a question at the next Regional Forum Meeting in May asking the HSE to give a comprehensive breakdown of where the revenue from the car parking charges is being spent.
“I can only assume that it is put straight back into the health services and anything else would not be acceptable,” he said.