Patient and carer car parking concessions standard

Standard number: QH-HSDIMP-042-2:2017

Effective date: 1 July 2017

Review date: 1 July 2020

Supersedes: New document

On this page:

Policy statement

The provision of car parking concessions at Queensland Health hospital facilities is intended to improve access and affordability of car parking spaces to eligible patients and their carers in a transparent manner.

Purpose

Hospital and Health Services (HHSs) must adhere to this Standard when developing and reviewing its local Hospital Car Park Strategy (the Strategy) for each hospital with paid parking it administers.

HHSs must adhere to this Standard when developing and reviewing its local Car Parking Concessions Policy and supporting Car Parking Concessions Procedure for each hospital with paid parking it administers.

Scope

This Standard applies to all HHSs that administer hospitals with paid parking. Compliance with this Standard is mandatory.

Objectives

The local Strategy and Car Parking Concessions Policy and Procedure are to be consistent with, and advance, the following objectives:

  • Car parking concessions will be available at all existing and new hospitals with paid parking [1] to ensure eligible patients and their carers have equitable access to clinical services.
  • Car parking concessions will be available to eligible patients and their carers.
  • Car parking concessions will be applied to a range of patients and their carers on the basis of need, and in a user-friendly and transparent manner.
  • The car parking concession arrangements will be provided to meet the local service and patient needs at each hospital.
  • Car parking concessions will provide both free and discounted hospital car parking.

Requirements

Eligibility

At minimum, car parking concessions are to be made available to eligible patients and their carers in the following categories:

  • Patients and carers experiencing financial hardship (which may include government concession card holders);
  • Patients and carers who need to attend hospital for an extended period of time;
  • Patients and carers who are required to attend hospital frequently; and
  • Patients and carers with special needs who require assistance.

Patient care

The local Hospital Car Park Strategy and local Car Parking Concessions Policy and local Car Parking Concessions Procedure should consider the following factors when allocating car parking spaces for patients with special needs:

  • Convenient and wheelchair friendly access from a car parking space to the hospital or specialist ward’s main entrance;
  • Disabled car parking space size requirements (as determined by Australian Standards); and
  • Railings, footpaths, pedestrian crossings, lighting and other measures to support patient safety and mobility.

New hospital car parks

Where a new hospital car park is proposed, hospital car park proposals must:

  • Ensure car parks are planned and designed to provide a suitable quantity of concession spaces;
  • Provide concession car parking spaces at appropriate locations within the hospital campus in a manner that is safe, convenient and supportive of patient care and patient need outcomes; and
  • Consider car parking concession allocation/quantities as part of planning.

Application

This Standard applies to:

  • All hospital car parking facilities [2];
  • All proposals for new car parking infrastructure, including upgrades or modifications to existing car parking infrastructure; and
  • The transition of commercial hospital car parks at the cessation of current contracts.

Administrative requirements

Each HHS must:

  • Develop a local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Policy for each hospital it administers. The local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Policy is to be consistent with this Standard, and at minimum must:
    • Define eligible patients and/or outline eligibility criteria;
    • Outline the types of concession passes and spaces available; and
    • Clearly state car parking concession rates (if any) for the hospital.
  • Develop a local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Procedure for each hospital it administers. The local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Procedure must outline how a patient or carer can access car parking concessions, including the application process, application timeframes, contact information and any standard forms required to enable a patient or their carer to apply for car parking concessions.

In developing the above, the HHS must appropriately consult with relevant consumer groups, patients and carers.

Both the local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Policy and local Hospital Car Parking Concessions Procedure must be available on the HHS’s website. Summarised information such as pamphlets, flyers, or signs regarding car parking concessions are to be available at appropriate locations throughout the hospital in a free and easily available manner. This may include at hospital reception and information desks, hospital or ward foyers, at car park entrances, payment stations, and any other relevant clinical and communal areas within the hospital.

The HHS must implement a single administrative point to provide oversight and central reporting of all car park concessions issued across hospitals and service areas. Car parking concessions may be approved or issued by specialist areas in the hospital. However, when car parking concessions are issued by specialist areas, the HHS must have appropriate internal administrative processes that advise the single administrative point.

The HHS must report annually, as part of its Annual Report, on the number of car parking concession passes issued and the cost of these concessions.

Supporting and related documents

Definitions of terms used in this Standard

Refer to the Hospital Car Parking Provisions Health Service Directive for details.

Approval and implementation

Guideline Custodian

Executive Director
Infrastructure Strategy and Planning Branch

Approval by Chief Executive

Director-General
Department of Health

Approval date: 29 June 2017

Effective from: 1 July 2017

Issued under section 47 of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011.

Version control

VersionDate Prepared byComments
0.01 15/06/2017 Infrastructure Strategy and Planning Branch New Document

Footnotes

  1. Where the car park is commercially operated, subject to contract and legal obligations, requirements and negotiations.
  2. Where an existing commercial hospital car park is operated by an entity other than the HHS (for example by a hospital foundation or, other charity or private enterprise), the HHS is encouraged to negotiate, subject to legal and contractual obligations, car parking concession arrangements in the interests of hospital patients and their carers.

Last updated: 1 July 2017