Aine Maher, Dr Robert O’Connor, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Kathleen O’Connor, Delores Gleeson & Willie Butler present cheque for €1,793 to the Irish Cancer Society; proceeds raised in Templetuohy, Co. Tipperary.
A national campaign undertaken by the Irish Cancer Society has failed to persuade hospitals to offer cancer patients free or even more subsidised parking,
A petition of more than 3,000 signatures and a campaign last December, saw no hospital in Ireland change its parking pricing policy for cancer patients, despite the Irish Cancer Societies request for all cancer patients receiving treatment.
At the end of last month, every hospital providing cancer treatment recognised no effort to reduce pricing between rates charged in 2016 and current rates.
Cork University Hospital presently is the only designated cancer treatment centre to grant concessions on parking for their cancer patients, charging a reduced €5 per day for parking. This compares with a €13.50 daily charge across the city at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital.
Cancer treatment Hospitals raised over €18million in car parking fees last year, an increase of over €4m on 2015 figures. He said the society has been overwhelmed by the huge public reaction to its “park the charges” campaign for cancer patients.
The Irish Cancer Society are now requesting politicians from all parties and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to acknowledge at least the massive financial impact of such hospital parking on families and to support a free parking initiative.
It should be noted that individual hospitals do have the authority to abolish charges for cancer patients and indeed some hospitals, including St Luke’s, Dublin; Wexford General; Mayo University Hospital and Portiuncula, in Co Galway, all grant cancer patient free parking.
UHL provides free parking for their oncology patients!!
MONEY is no 1. PATIENTS are down the line.