More patients and carers will qualify for concessions at public hospital parking stations, including privately run operations at St George and Sutherland Hospitals, from July 1.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said patients who needed the most support would save as much as $200 a week.
“For example, a patient suffering from a rare blood disorder and requiring daily transfusions at St George Hospital will pay $21.20 per week under the new policy, instead of up to $231 per week where no concession has been applied,” she said.
“Similarly, parents who have to stay with their chronically ill child through the day at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, will pay $21.20 per week instead of $196 per week.
“These are significant changes that will result in real savings for the patients and families who need it most during the toughest times.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the changes would make parking concessions at NSW hospitals the most generous in Australia.
“We will now negotiate with private car park operators to ensure the contracts we inherited from the previous government are fairer,” he said.
We will now negotiate with private car park operators to ensure the contracts we inherited from the previous government are fairer
- Health Minister Brad Hazzard
Eligibility for the concession rates will be expanded to include patients and their carers, who require treatment over a period of time and those attending more than twice weekly, including carers of long term patients who visit frequently.
Those experiencing financial hardship will also be eligible.
People continuing to be eligible for concessional car parking include:
- Holders of a disabled parking permit, a blue pension card, gold veterans affairs card, maroon and yellow health care card and blue carer allowance health care card.
- Centrelink beneficiaries who qualify for a pensioner concession card or a health care card.
- Ongoing cancer treatment patients, cardiac rehabilitation education and exercise class attendees and other health promotion education class attendees and outpatients requiring daily dressings.
Mr Hazzard said the application process in each local health district would be simplified.