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Concession Parking @ NSW Public Hospitals for Patients & Concession Card Holders - 3 Hrs FREE, $5.40/24hr, $21.70/7 Days

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Concession Parking @ NSW Public Hospitals for Patients & Concession Card Holders - 3 Hrs FREE, $5.40/24hr, $21.70/7 Days
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mubd1234 on 09/07/2017 - 23:13 health.nsw.gov.au (2271 clicks)
Last edited 10/07/2017 - 02:09

Don't get rorted by private parking fees at NSW public hospitals. The state government has recently introduced a new standardised parking policy for NSW public hospitals, where you can get deeply discounted rates if you're a patient receiving treatment over a long period of time, or if you are attending the hospital more than twice a week, or if you hold one of the following concession cards:

• holders of a RTA issued Disabled Parking Permit
• holders of a Pensioner Concession Card
• holders of a Gold Veterans Affairs Card
• holders of a Health Care Card

3 hours are free, and $5.40 for a single entry/exit within a 24 hour period.

You can also get unlimited entry/exit 3 day and 7 day passes for $11.90 and $21.70 respectively.

For reference, parking at Prince of Wales costs $28.80 for more than 2.5 hours. St Vincent's Hospital costs about the same, but rises to $50 for 6 hours. Westmead Hospital is $10 for 3 hours, $16 for 6 hours. And you have to pay every time you enter and exit the hospital.

I was at Prince of Wales hospital the other day and foolishly paid $9.60 to drop my mother off at the hospital for a little over 30 minutes. I noticed the new concession parking sign next to the information booth when arriving to pick her up, and slapped myself in the face. You'll need to approach the designated ticket validation place (there will be posters in the hospital saying where it is) as you exit the hospital in order for you to take advantage of the concession.

EDIT: You should check to see if St Vincents Hospital is covered by concession. It is not operated by the NSW Government, but rather by a not for profit corporation.

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Comments

  • coxymla on 09/07/2017 - 23:20
    +3

    Last time I went to Prince of Wales the boom gates were open and I parked [illegally] for free.

    • jv on 09/07/2017 - 23:31
      +9

      Last time I went to Prince of Wales the boom gates were open and I parked [illegally] for free.

      The pub ?

      • Diji1 on 10/07/2017 - 00:17

        Lolled.

  • bennyboy on 09/07/2017 - 23:27
    +20

    My daughter is being treated at Westmead Children's and this is a welcome change. Normally around $17 a day, so it's a significant saving as we are there quite a bit. Not so much a bargain as common sense really…

    • chadiwrx on 10/07/2017 - 10:22
      +11

      All the best to your daughter and here's to a speedy recovery.

      • bennyboy on 12/07/2017 - 14:27
        +1

        cheers mate!

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 00:12
    +4

    Excellent deal! I wish other states would follow

  • Wystri Warrick on 10/07/2017 - 00:25
    +3

    Wasn't there a change.org petition about this?

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 00:25

    And I thought I was getting ripped. At least a can sleep slightly better now.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 00:26
    +1

    for westmead hospital, park at the bottom of the road in parramatta park, it's only a 5min walk.

    • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 01:03
      +1

      I think those areas are metered 2 hour and free 15 minute zones. Not very helpful when you'll be sitting in a waiting room for probably 3 hours.

      • Lord Fart Bucket on 10/07/2017 - 06:54

        In parra park i think it isn't, the roads to parra park, yes.

        • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 07:44

          Oh well in that case, I scoped that area out for a good 30 minutes a few weeks back and had no luck finding a spot.

  • jv on 10/07/2017 - 00:33
    +63

    We've already paid for the parking spaces through our taxes. These are public hospitals. The parking should be free for anybody using the hospital, maybe just a nominal fee to have a process to ensure non-hospital users don't park there…

    • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 01:15
      +1

      I hate up voting a vote whore, yet jv, you've done it again!

      • gimli on 10/07/2017 - 06:38
        +1

        You can make up for it by down voting else where.
        E.g this post

    • samfisher5986 on 10/07/2017 - 01:28
      +4

      I don't know anything about the parking situation but generally in these situations they are free, until its constantly full.

      Then its a process of increasing the pricing until there are spaces available.

      • dealman on 10/07/2017 - 10:40
        +2

        Hmmmm. It's a balance.. This is the ideal world.. Economist version.. Sadly.. Not so in reality..

        Especially when unscrupulous parking companies with contracts screw the captive market.

    • Maverick-au on 10/07/2017 - 10:26
      +3

      I feel dirty giving JV an upvote…..

      • Cheeper on 10/07/2017 - 16:14
        +2

        I tried but I just could not do it..

    • Wystri Warrick on 10/07/2017 - 11:20
      +1

      jv for prime minister!

    • twig on 11/07/2017 - 07:45

      it's because the government keeps cutting funding, so hospitals had to make money from other streams.

      hate on it all you want, but it's affecting their ability to deliver quality health care.

  • Findo on 10/07/2017 - 00:36
    +6

    Hmm, the public hospitals close to universities and other major landmarks will be clogged with non-hospital visitors

    • Maverick-au on 10/07/2017 - 10:29

      Hmm, the public hospitals close to universities and other major landmarks will be clogged with non-hospital visitors

      It would be easy to detect abuse of the system using ANPR and in these cases the boom gate could remain closed or the ticket be invalidated so they can be verified as legitimate visitors or not. If they catch people parking there illegitimately hit them with a massive fine.

      • Findo on 10/07/2017 - 11:50

        I can just imagine UNSW students parking at PoW for free for a few hours than playing musical chairs on the roads surrounding uni, or even just paying $5.40 for a full day of parking. Parking at UNSW costs a minimum of $9 for two hours then $3.50 per hour. Nothing in the terms and conditions say the parking is only for medical purposes at participating hospitals.

        • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 15:54

          The concession rate only applies if you have an appointment in the hospital system, or if you have a concession card. Normal rates apply if you don't meet one of those requirements.

          People with low income health care cards might be able to rort it, but I suspect not too many students going to UNSW would fulfill that requirement.

        • Findo on 10/07/2017 - 16:04

          @mubd1234: I know loads of undergrads with low income health care cards, especially those that have moved out from home

  • MrJeremyFisher on 10/07/2017 - 02:02

    Is St. Vincent's Public Hospital on the list for concession???

    • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 02:10

      I just looked, I don't think it is. It's operated by a not for profit organisation which is separate to the NSW government-run hospital system, so I guess you should presume that it isn't.

      • MrJeremyFisher on 10/07/2017 - 02:20

        Thx for finding out, it is disappointing for patients and visitors going to this hospital.

        • SydneySwan on 10/07/2017 - 07:41
          +1

          However this is one of the easiest hospitals to get to using public transport. It has a very small car park.

      • CandyMan on 10/07/2017 - 06:50
        +1

        Wait for the remainder of car parks to be tendered out

  • PJC on 10/07/2017 - 04:48
    +1

    Thanks OP for this useful information.

  • Bargainaholic on 10/07/2017 - 07:13

    So how does it work? Do we need to go admin counter after we get issued the ticket or is it something we put through at the ticket machine?

    • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 07:43
      +1

      The location should be listed on a poster located near the payment machine. At Prince of Wales, you had to do it just prior to leaving, because the ticket validation would expire 15 minutes after they validated the ticket.

      • MrJeremyFisher on 10/07/2017 - 12:29

        May be depends on the local health district, for example Illawarra shoalhaven district.
        https://www.islhd.health.nsw.gov.au/Wollongong_Hospital/TWH_…
        There is a application form need to be fill out and signed by manager/social worker and approved by hospital/Wilsons staff. (Application form is under Resources at the end of the webpage)

        • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 17:22

          The hospital staff filled out the concession form on the spot for me. It was only a small slip of paper.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 08:07

    What happens If you drive there and die on the operating table? How do you pay the bill if exceed the 3hrs?

    • AlexF on 10/07/2017 - 08:32
      +1

      No problem, it'll come out of your estate after car is impounded.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/07/2017 - 08:33

        But if they impound your car, how will you get home?

        • AlexF on 10/07/2017 - 08:34
          +4

          After you die, you don't get to go home.

    • siuol on 10/07/2017 - 09:15

      You are such a good citizen

    • PJC on 10/07/2017 - 16:04
      +1

      Next of kin.

  • mmkardart on 10/07/2017 - 08:12

    Before you leave the hospital parking, you need to visit the parking officer so that he/she can program your ticket to adjust the fees to free/concessional rates

  • kallico on 10/07/2017 - 09:15
    +2

    No problem, except when the car park is full, like Blacktown Hospital. Was there recently and all levels were full. Had to park in the street and my husband had to keep going every 2 hours to move car!

    • dealman on 10/07/2017 - 10:53
      +1

      Let's assume everyone entering this parking lot are genuine visitors / relatives of admitted family in the hospital and staff.

      Even with genuine visitors to hospitals, if there are more visitors than actual spots available then this reduced fee leads to the people who got there earlier in the day hogging the spaces for longer because its a single entry single fee..

      So making it difficult for others coming in later in the day. It's all nice to say lower the fees, but there's always more than one story.

      Economics 101,

  • diddy50 on 10/07/2017 - 10:02

    Why only pension or concession holders?

    Why should be slugged so much for parking in a time when we are so vulnerable?!

    • Maverick-au on 10/07/2017 - 10:25

      Why only pension or concession holders?

      Exactly, this is BS from the Government making policy on the run. The reduced rates should apply to all hospitals but should be a little higher as they are too cheap and will see rorting of the system and people driving when they could catch public transport.

      It would be good if they would stop selling off hospitals and other assets as this makes it easy to keep the prices at reasonable levels. This will be costing the government a fortune because private operators will be charging them the full price.

    • mubd1234 on 10/07/2017 - 15:51

      It's not only for pensioners and concession card holders. If you have an appointment at the hospital, you get the concession rate.

    • papachris on 11/07/2017 - 02:01

      It's NOT only "pension or concession holders". If you read the fact sheet linked by the OP, you would see eligibility is as follows:

      NSW Health recognises the burden that regular or long term hospitalisation and/or treatment places on patients and their carers, and has expanded eligibility for the concession rates to include:

      • patients and their carers who require treatment over a period of time
      • patients and their carers who are attending more than twice weekly, including carers of long term patients who visit frequently.

      Other persons continuing to be eligible for concessional car parking include:

      • holders of a RTA issued Disabled Parking Permit
      • holders of a Pensioner Concession Card
      • holders of a Gold Veterans Affairs Card
      • holders of a Health Care Card
      • ongoing cancer treatment patients
      • patients and their carers who are required to attend the hospital/facility for a course of treatment over a period of time greater than one week
      • patients and their carers attending more frequently than twice weekly, including carers of long term patients who visit frequently
      • cardiac rehabilitation education and exercise class attendees
      • daily dressing outpatients
      • Health Promotion education class attendees.

      Patients and carers who are experiencing financial hardship, but do not meet the listed eligibility categories, are also entitled to concessional car parking.

      Thanks for the link OP…

  • berko_max on 10/07/2017 - 10:56

    I wonder if having a baby at POW is covered by this? For baby No 1 I paid hundreds in parking. In and out every day for 5 days.

    Getting ready for #2 soon!

    • papachris on 11/07/2017 - 01:20
      +1

      Is #2 already in the oven, or does this deal simply make you extra horny…

      • kiitos on 11/07/2017 - 17:18
        +2

        If not, he already has a plan for what to do…

        In and out every day for 5 days.

  • strawberrybug on 10/07/2017 - 11:56

    Thanks for posting!

  • LustStarrr on 11/07/2017 - 07:01

    About time! The other states/territories better follow this lead.

  • NG84 on 21/07/2017 - 13:06

    Does anyone know if this applies to pregnant women when they are in the hospital or have to go to the hospital frequently near their due date (more than twice a week). Also, how does one avail this at Royal North Shore Hospital?

    • mubd1234 on 22/07/2017 - 01:45

      If you're an outpatient frequently visiting, you should be fine. I'm unsure if you're permitted to take advantage once you're actually admitted (the "long term carers visiting frequently" wording seems a tad vague), so probably best to check before you head into hospital for a long time.

      When I was at Prince of Wales, the validation occurred at the information desk. There were many signs on walls near the pedestrian entrances to the hospital from the car park which said where to validate the tickets. So look around for those signs.

      • NG84 on 24/07/2017 - 12:34

        Great, will check. Thanks!

  • serpserpserp on 23/07/2017 - 20:57

    Well this is going to make it impossible for hospital staff to get a park to go to work! Previously it was already a nightmare. I knew staff that got park fines just to go to work and save lives. They are happy to pay for parking, just can't get any past 8am…

  • SydOzber on 24/07/2017 - 12:08

    hi OP,
    have never been to Prince of Wales before.

    Just wondering if am able to validate the ticket and get the concession rates if my wife is admitted as a Private patient ?

    • mubd1234 on 24/07/2017 - 15:22

      Is she being admitted as a private patient in the public hospital, or a private patient in the private hospital? You should be able to get the concession rate if it's the former.

      • SydOzber on 24/07/2017 - 16:20

        private patient in private hospital.

        • mubd1234 on 25/07/2017 - 15:13

          Yeah, unfortunately I don't think you'll be entitled to the concession.

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