"Parking at the hospital"

My parent had cataract surgery on recently at 6:30am. When we got there the car park was closed, so I dropped my parent off and drove around to find other parking, then came and sat with them and waited at the hospital until the operation was finished.

They called me when it had finished to come to Level 5. So I had to wait a bit - I think something had happened - all the patients there were waiting for eye drops, but 2 hours just for eye drops? The whole check-in process - my parent got weighed and changed and taken up - was all on time. It was just in the discharge room itself, and the nurses seemed to be getting frustrated. They called the pharmacy and finally gave the eye drops. They said my parent would need to come back the next day for a doctor review and gave them an 8am appointment.

My parent asked one of the nurses about parking, and they said there's a car park here that opens after 6:30am. And the discharge nurse said that yes, it’s free for 3 hours, and after that there’s a rate you have to pay, which they weren’t sure what that was, but they know the 3 hours are free. We went, okay, no worries.

We left, came the next day, parked in the car park, and I said to my parent are you sure it’s free? Because nothing here says it’s free. And they told me that the nurses had said yesterday that it’s free for 3 hours. When we got in the lift it said, “make sure you validate your pass at reception.” It wasn’t very clear what the validation process is though - what am I validating?

We go in, I check my parent in using the smart board thing, and I noticed their home address was wrong. So I went up to reception and said, I’ve already checked in, but the address is wrong, and they fixed it. And while I was there I asked about validation and said, do I do that here? They said no, not here, you need to go to a different reception. And I asked about the free parking and they said yes, the first three hours is free.

After my parent’s appointment, the doctor said go to the other reception to rebook for next appointment in a couple of months. So we walked back out, rebooked the appointment, and I asked about validating for the car park and he said, I don’t validate, you need to go outside to the cashier. And I didn’t know where that was, but I looked for it and saw a sign next to the elevator, the sign (which you don’t see when you leave the elevator), said: to be eligible you need to have a concession card ‘or’ if you have an appointment on campus.

So I looked at my parent, I said I think it’s only if you have a concession card, and they said no, it says ‘or’ if you have an appointment. So I found myself at the cashier. I lined up and they had the same sign at the cashier as well.

I waited my turn and then asked if I can get it validated? And the cashier said, where’s your concession card? And I said I didn’t have one. And they said, well I’m not going to validate, and held up the sign on the other side of the window and said it states you need a concession card. And I said, no - the sign near the elevator says “or.”

I felt the cashier was very dismissive, they said they’re not going to do it because they know their job, they’ve been working here a long time. And people behind us were getting cross. I was stubborn because I was frustrated. And the cashier then stuck out their hand between me and my parent and called the people behind us forward to get their parking ticket and their concession card - all the while I was still standing there.

After they were served another lady came up behind me, and she was a worker, and the cashier said, come, I’m not serving these people. And I turned around and said, I’m trying to get validated, and the worker said that they will wait, there’s no issue, and the cashier said, no I’m not going to do theirs, I will process yours. But the lady said, “Look I don’t want to be involved, I will walk away and come back when it’s free.”

I asked, can I speak to a manager? And the cashier said their manager wasn’t available but if we want to make a complaint, go to Level 1.

I said to the cashier, what’s your name? And they said, my name is Cashier. And pointed to their badge that said ‘cashier’. And I was just pretty frustrated, and my parent was there just saying, “Let’s go,” and trying to get me to calm down. Eventually we went to the ED to see if they would do it.

When at ED, I explained that yesterday and today staff have said the first 3 hours are free, and the guy at the entrance asked if we had a concession card? and I said no. And they said, well I’m sorry, you’ve been given wrong info.

We went back down and paid for the car park and walked away. I didn’t get a chance to call and complain or lodge feedback. I did go online to try and find more, and when you go online the sign says you need a concession card. But the sign out the front of the elevator and at the hospital says “Or” have an appointment.

I was told by multiple staff members (some were in purple shirts) on both days that it was free - how could multiple people get it wrong? I was going around to all the different reception desks and they said it’s all free. No one said to me, until the security guy, do you have a concession card? You’re going to need one. And the sign said “OR”.

Ideally I would like a refund. But I have made peace with it if I can’t get one. I just hope that this helps other patients coming to the hospital to have clearer information - as the sign says “OR,” and multiple staff members said we would get the first 3 hours free.