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Care Opinion

Priority parking for patients

Posted By guideej79

"Priority parking for patients"

About: Fiona Stanley Hospital

(as the patient),

I'm needing to attend the hospital for 20 sessions of radiotherapy. This is after all the appointments for biopsies, surgery etc which means I have never paid less than $6 per visit for parking. I notice that the staff carparks I believe,  are never full and street parking is so limited that it's almost impossible to get. So $30 a week to park and patients like myself have to compete with visitors to get parking close to the hospital. Why on earth can we not give patients only a permit for reduced/free parking? But also I feel make all the street parking only available to actual patients only.

I have cancer and why should I have to pay the same as visitors and walk a distance because one patient in the hospital could potentially have a lot of individual visitors in a day taking up all the more convenient parking spaces close to the main building? I believe this would be simple to implement if anyone can be bothered. I feel you ensure that your staff don't have to stress every day for parking but in my opinion, you leave your patients to compete with bloody visitors. I feel it is wrong on every level and I don't accept the generic responses supplied to other people.

I believe the visitors need to be forced to park at the provided carparks the furthest away from the hospital and the closest carparks including street parking need to be only used by patients. And in my opinion, it is unacceptable to expect the patients to discuss reduced parking options with nurses who are treating them as I believe has been suggested in response to other complaints about the same issue etc because I believe you should just give all patients equitable access to reduced/free parking. I feel it is also pathetic that some people think that they should park for free just because they are visiting! How about these people consider that they are a hazard in my opinion, to actual patients attempting to access the closest parking to the hospital and I feel we take priority.

I believe the visitors should have to pay and park in relegated parking areas away from the closest parking to hospital, and I feel, not be allowed to use street parking either. I believe only unhinged and unreasonable people would even attempt to argue that visitors should have equal rights to patients trying to park. I feel that just a few street signs and some printed permits is all that is required to fix this simple problem. 

I've had panic attacks due to stress from these parking issues.

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Responses

Response from Neil Doverty, Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group, South Metropolitan Health Service 2 years ago
Neil Doverty
Executive Director Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals Group,
South Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 23/06/2021 at 6:20 PM
Published on Care Opinion on 24/06/2021 at 9:08 AM

picture of Neil Doverty

Dear Patientparkingonly,

I am sorry to read of your recent cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment required. I empathise that this must be a very stressful time for you, and hope that you are happy with the care and treatment you are receiving from our wonderful clinicians at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH).

I also understand that the stress of finding parking would compound your difficult situation. Parking at FSH has been a significant issue for some time now (for patients, staff and visitors alike), and we are working extremely hard to find a resolution to the parking issues.

Unfortunately it is not possible to provide free parking to all patients; parking fees for anyone using their vehicle to access carparking spaces are required to contribute to the maintenance and cost of running the parking facilities.

With an average of 800 – 1200 patients per day attending FSH for outpatient appointments, there is enormous pressure placed on our limited parking bays. One of the strategies we are working on is increasing the use of telehealth for appointments that do not require face to face contact. This will decrease the number of patients attending FSH, in many instances is more convenient for patients, and also has a positive impact on our collective carbon footprint.

Another strategy we are working on is encouraging staff to use alternate methods of transport to get to work (e.g. public transport, walking, riding etc). We are working with our Health Promotion and Communications teams on this, and also the Public Transport Authority.

We do have volunteers who regularly roam the distant carparks to provide assistance for patients and visitors who have difficulty walking any longer than short distances. I suggest that should you require this service you contact the switchboard upon arrival (6152 2222) and request volunteer parking buggy assistance.

I am unable to dictate the use of the street parking as that is managed by the City of Melville (we do not own the roads surrounding and within our hospital).

Thank you for your feedback. I wish you the very best with your ongoing treatment.

Kind regards,

Neil Doverty

Group Executive Director

Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by guideej79 (the patient)

Thanks for the prompt response, Neil. I just re-read my first post and it was a bit emotional so I've toned it down for this one.

Well, the nurses and clinicians are so consistently and methodically brilliant that I am not really as stressed as what I thought I would be. It is really a privilege to be treated by these people. Their positivity has encouraged me to completely give up alcohol and it is not hard when they are trying to save my life with radiotherapy. Tried to stop drinking many times before but after a cancer diagnosis, it has been easy to stop. I understand that the hospital endeavours to do its best and it is difficult to prioritise parking; perhaps if patient parking was capped or reduced rather than being free? It does appear that the City of Melville is accountable for the street parking which in my opinion, is quite reasonable in cost; Subiaco Council supplies 20 parking spots for patients at a children's Hospital so perhaps Melville could do the same for FSH as a starting point.

I'm sure if FSH were to place some support behind the possibility of having a conversation about it with Melville Council then that would be nothing less than beneficial. If using the car I leave home much earlier now to avoid unnecessary stress or use my 50cc scooter if I feel ok, on fine days for the free street parking. Thank you for taking the time to provide your helpful response.

Regards.

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