State of the Nation - Question Parking

Kirsten_BCNA

Thank you all for your ongoing responses to questions I have already posed - it is never to late to continue adding to your experiences.

Now I am keen to hear about parking. When you were going through treatment did you have to pay for your parking? Did you receive discounts, did you receive free parking vouchers.

I have a feeling this may be a hot topic - so look forward to our discussions

KP

nikkid

Yes always had to pay for parking with no discounts.

Would be great to receive vouchers!

kayvie

Yes had to pay for parking on site but got discount - still it was $15.50 each chemo treatment. We ended up parking about 1km from the hospital and walking so saved some dollars as hubby would move car if we exceeded time limit!

rowdy

I had to pay for parking every visit for chemo and herceptin. When I was having my surgeries we also had to pay for parking. With out of pocket expenses as a private patient I lost count of total costs. Very expensive having breast cancer

Cate64

I was given a ticket each chemo that made on-site parking only cost $8

SoldierCrab

Yes all visits to specialists at Westmead = $$ for parking, g/friend used to drop me at the door and go park about 1km away in a park then come back up to me. same when we were finished appointments she would go get car I would wait... once I got a bit more strength back I would walk with her back to the car.  these costs mount up. 

wendy55

would like to just to say how lucky i feel, all through chemo, oncology visits, scans, hospital visits,I did not pay one penny,
during chemo, we were given a pass to allow free parking close to the chemo unit, and all other visits were covered under the free two hour parking scheme at the hospital, HOWEVER if i had chosen to go to the Royal Adelaide Hospital instead of where I currently go the result would have been entirely different chemo would have seen us given a free park permit but all other visits would have incurred at least a $15 if not more parking fees,
ps. the hospital i have been going to for the last three years is also a public hospital {the lyell mcewin}
All car parks are owned by private companies and they are not at all sympathetic to people with breast cancer or anything else, I do have a disabilty park sticker which helps as in the adelaide cbd you can park for nothing or have two hours credit at a certain nominated carpark by the adelaide council, so i feel very greatful as I can only imagine how much this would have cost otherwise, also as I live more than a hundred kilometers from my hospital I receive a transport allowance from the government of $50.00 each time we have to go to Adelaide for doctors/ct scans etc, So i consider myself very lucky in this respect,having metastatic breast cancer means that this will go on until I "fall off my perch"so am glad that
south australia does have some good policies in place,

primek

Country area so no cost for chemo but specialist appointments in adelaide we caught a cancer council bus from our accommodation at the cancer council to save the hassle of parking and the bus was gold coin donation.

Melsie97

I am currently undergoing Chemo and then 6 Radiotherapy at St George Hospital. Unless you want to pay for parking or potentially get a fine as everywhere around the hospital is 2 hour parking, you need to park a fair distance away and walk. 

Jane_Elizabeth

I had chemo at a private hosp, and was given a discount voucher which meant parking was about $12 per time. Then I had radio at a public hospital where I also happen to work, and the parking vouchers allowed me to park for $1 per day, so I really got my money's worth on the days where I worked as well as had radiotherapy there. Winner! (gotta look for the small wins or else all you see are the big losses with cancer!)

socoda

Hi Kirsten, I had my surgery at Auburn Public Hospital and there was paid parking there but also street parking fairly close. For oncology and radiography appointments I attend the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre at Campbelltown Public Hospital and they have a special parking section for the Cancer Centre. You get a placard of a specific colour for that month of appointments and when you are leaving you get your next colour placard. These ensure no fines are given. A fantastic service.

angiesg

I did chemo and radiotherapy privately and all parking was free.

for chemo which was for 12 weekly sessions initially and then every 3 weeks for 1 year for Herceptin,  we would park at the hospital underground car park and day oncology would give us a drive out ticket which negated the entire cost. This was so convenient and that extra little thing we did not need to worry about at each visit.

for radiotherapy, the hospital had 10 designated spots just for their patients, once again free and within a 50 metre walk to the entry. Once again made the 6 week daily visits so much easier.

was very grateful that both these parking options were available to us . 

Brenda5

Had all my surgery, blood tests, chemo in Hervey Bay and didn't pay anything for parking. Little tip in Summer, put one of those reflective shields across the windscreen and the car will be much cooler when you get in and you wont burn yourself on the dash or steering wheel.

Share

From first diagnosis in 2003 I have always had to pay for parking - regardless of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy follow-up appointments etc. The most frustrating thing is that whilst the hospitals have got bigger, parking is no better !

There is limited timed parking around St George Public & Private Hospitals (have been an in & outpatient of both) and only last week had to make a dash between drinking the dye for the CT scan and having the scan to move my car. As I was going to be there for 2-2 1/2 hours I did not fancy spending $25 on parking. 

iserbrown

Private parking companies running hospital carparks make it difficult.  We found that Maccas across the road from the hospital is free for the first hour so dependent on what type of appointment we sometimes took advantage of that and bought a coffee at Maccas to satisfy the requirement of being a Maccas customer.

Michelle_W

I have have been lucky enough to have my Surgeon, Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist  and all my surgery, chemo and radium and Gyno surgery at St Andrews Private Hospital in Toowoomba.

The parking is free and they also have a little shuttle buggy that takes you from anywhere in the car park to where ever you need to go around the hospital. Fantastic hospital.