Hospital costs People visiting sick patients should not be forced to act as a profit source for Irish hospitals and should not have to worry about putting money into the meter while looking after loved ones, according to the Irish Patients' Association (IPA).
"A system should be organised to document the frequency and duration of patients' car park time so that it could be paid at one time with other hospital bills and not during daily visits to patients," says IPA spokesman Stephen McMahon.
Parking costs are becoming a particular concern among visitors to Dublin hospitals.
Sick Children, Money Worries, a recent study published by Children in Hospital Ireland, examined the breakdown of hospital costs and found three out of five families surveyed suffered from financial strain, some going into debt, and spending an average of €80 a day on expenses such as parking, accommodation, meals and travel when their children were in the hospital.
Parking in metered spots on the street can average about €11.60 a day.
Car parks exist in most other city centre hospitals, but daily charges add up. One parent of a child hospitalised six times in eight months said he paid about €300 for parking.
"It is difficult on a family when someone is in the hospital for a prolonged period of time. However, it becomes more difficult as many people face an added daily problem of parking costs and in some cases even trying to find a place to park on the street," according to Eithne Fitzgerald, author of Sick Children, Money Worries.
Over the length of their child's stay in the hospital, over 60 per cent of families surveyed lost significant amounts of income, the average loss came to €360. The costs were much higher for families living far away.
According to an Eastern Regional Health Authority spokesman, it is necessary to recover the costs that have occurred as a result of building new car parks.